• At a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, customers practice social distancing and dine with stuffed pandas.
  • Maison Saigon had originally placed one chair at each table, but the owner told Reuters it felt empty, so he placed stuffed panda bears around the restaurant.
  • Other restaurants have also found creative ways to encourage social distancing. Cardboard cutouts fill one restaurant in Australia, and customers are required to wear pool noodle hats at a café in Germany.
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In Thailand, friends and family members might not join you for dinner, but stuffed panda bears will.

When Maison Saigon initially reopened, it had encouraged social distancing by placing one chair at each table. But the owner said it felt isolating and empty, so he decided to give his customers some company in the form of stuffed animals.

Now, pandas fill the seats at the Vietnamese restaurant in Bangkok

stuffed panda bear in thailand restaurant.JPG

Foto: Diners also told Reuters that the bears make it very clear where someone can and can’t sit. Source: Athit Perawongmetha/REUTERS

“Earlier we had only one chair for the tables where the customer came alone. But for me, it felt strange, so I thought I’d give them some company,” Natthwut Rodchanapanthkul, the owner of Maison Saigon, told Reuters.

One diner said he enjoyed the unique company as he dined out for the first time in months. "The doll makes me feel less lonely eating by myself," Sawit Chaiphuek told Reuters.

According to Timeout, Thailand relaxed some of its lockdown restrictions starting May 3, which included restaurants and cafés. However, they are still required to follow strict social-distancing guidelines.

stuffed panda thailand restaurant.JPG

Foto: Restaurants opened their dining rooms for the first time in months and have been challenged with finding ways to socially distance their customers. Source: REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Maison Saigon isn't the only restaurant taking a creative approach to social distancing

In Australia, a restaurant owner added cardboard cutouts in hopes of making his customers feel like they're having a typical dining experience.

The restaurant owner also plans to play guest "chatter" on the speakers to help his guests feel more comfortable when dining.

Mannequins provide social distancing at the Inn at Little Washington as they prepare to reopen their restaurant Thursday May 14, 2020, in Washington, Va. The manager say that every other table will have mannequins for social distance guidance when, according to state guidelines, the 5-star restaurant will be allowed reopen on May 29th. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Foto: Mannequins provide social distancing at the Inn at Little Washington. Source: Associated Press

At a restaurant in Washington, Virginia, mannequins were added to tables to fill the empty dining room. Meanwhile, a café in Germany jokingly had customers wear pool noodle hats to follow social-distancing guidelines.