Driventowin

Because I'm observant...Small hole in the wall quick service shops, not enough space for a real grill, and the burger comes out in 2 min or less if it wasn't already there waiting. It takes longer than that to cook any burger properly from raw even ones as thin as these..

That's how most of the places I've been to in Bangkok and Phuket are, though there are exceptions, they still use microwaves much of the time..Not to mention when they are cooking burgers the grill is below eye level but yet they are always reaching above their head where microwaves are most commonly located...

The bun is also very hot and spongy indicative of microwaved when usually they don't heat their buns at all and that's not just from radiant heat in the packaging either so no need to go there..

It is also common place to actually see the cooks flipping an occasional burger on the grill and here I have never seen it once yet. Although I'm pretty sure that the McD's I visited in Pattaya did have a real grill and I could taste the difference there too..

If you haven't eaten a burger from their place of origin (being the US) you have no empirical evidence with which to call upon... I can't pinpoint the exact difference it may be local beef as part of their contract to sell here but there is a definite difference in taste and texture over the "real thing"... In fact the burgers in the States were so tender that there was a long standing myth that they mixed in earthworms to give them their juicy, light texture and flavor.

The irony there is that if they did mix in earthworms it would probably be far more healthy for you considering the high protein factor of earthworms over even beef..

Bottom line as has been pointed out here a couple of times now it's like anything else, you should do it in moderation and put very simply, if you don't like it don't eat it!!