PM orders check of high food and drink prices at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports

[LALes]

Never eat in an airport unless I absolutely have to.  Never change money in an airport, either.  No bigger scams anywhere.  

[whaleboneman]

18 hours ago, shady86 said:

Consumers can decide which shop to patronize but water should be give free or sold at reasonable price because it cannot be brought in.

That would kind of defeat the purpose of the water scam. I mean ever since they banned water through security check points - the price inside the airport has gotten ridiculous. Pretty sure it's nothing to do with safety or security. It's just about maximizing profits.

[baboon]

16 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Because I get food and drink for free at the lounge.

I do like the Pizza slices at Dean and Deluca,

A bit pointless in having a go at us moaning then, don't you think, when you have no need to buy owt in the first place..? 

Edited January 11, 2018 by baboon

[Blackheart1916]

"Chief, just checked the airport shops, prices are indeed high, all is good, heading back to HQ." As they are everywhere. Don't buy, and/or bring your own.

[Juan B Tong]

PM visits in response to foreign media criticism.  Problem solved.

 

Comments:

 

I am sure the brown envelopes were simply redirected after the 'change in government'.  

 

Of note:

I recall that just after the coup the SCB ATMs at Swampy were all replaced by Thai Military Bank ATMs.

After a while, the SCB units were back in place. I guess the envelopes took a while to find new beneficiaries.

 

Oh yeah,  Eat at the staff canteens as noted by other posters and shop at the convenience stores. 

 

Bottled airport water more expensive than normal bottled water in all the airports I have been in.

[Blackheart1916]

53 minutes ago, ostyan said:

Don Muang? Check Air Asia. One bottle of small water costs you 40 Baht.

Their luggage policy is an open robbery.

They are a budget airline, that is the way their model is set up. Want full service, go full service airline.

[Nice Boyd]

500 b for Burger ? King is Ridiculous, even by American standards

[StevieDee]

Surely he has better things to concern himself with?

If not.......

Dear PM,

At Big C Rama 4 I have noticed that their 65 gram packets of Lays are always 1 or 2 Baht more expensive than the same packets on sale at Tesco Lotus Rama 4.

I await the result of your agencies' investigations with favorable anticipation.

Lastly, like you, I am confused as to why a privately owned company have the audacity to charge their own prices, shame on them

Yours sincerely

Mr Dee

[cnx355]

How much is a small bottle of water in Haneda / Narita Tokyo airport compared to the city price ?

.

Most international airport I have been have similar exorbitant price due to rent paid to the airport and maybe some greed too as the customer are captive.

[Spock]

I always eat in the food court. Lot's of chinese as reported but a good selection of food at decent prices. If I really need to use wifi I eat at the restaurant at the food court end of the ground floor, which is still expensive but not as much so as the restaurants on the upper floors.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

13 minutes ago, baboon said:

A bit pointless in having a go at us moaning then, don't you think, when you have no need to buy owt in the first place..? 

Because nothing is actually free, airports cost money, think a little more about it.

Others buy a air ticket for 999 Baht on Air Asia then complain they have to pay luggage allowance.

Nobody will die of thirst in the time they are in a terminal, and there are fountains.

 

[wvavin]

This guy really has absolutely no clue and also totally very disconnected to the current world.

[captspectre]

1 hour ago, wirat69 said:

Cup of coffee at the airport is more expensive than at Shangri-La Hotel!!!

so? what else is new? 

[ffats]

usual shameful ripping off of foreigners..  

[baboon]

5 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Because nothing is actually free, airports cost money, think a little more about it.

Others buy a air ticket for 999 Baht on Air Asia then complain they have to pay luggage allowance.

Nobody will die of thirst in the time they are in a terminal, and there are fountains.

 

I don't think there is anybody claiming that anything other than drinking water should be free, but come on - It is price gouging, pure and simple. Let's call a spade a spade here.

Maybe the retailers do have to pay astronomical rents, so it is price gouging by the landlords. However I will wager they add a little bit extra for themselves too. Besides, why rent there in the first place if you are unable to sell your stuff at anything like a reasonable price? It sure as hell isn't because they care about you or I...

[ujayujay]

19 hours ago, colinneil said:

PM orders check on high food and drink prices !!

I can give him the answer, it is the extremely high rents they have to pay to do business there.

No, the high rent justify max. 50% of the excessive prices.

[ginjag]

Udon airport, question-why isn't there a 7-11  shop  ??     because whoever owns the small food outlets must have objected.   These small outlets  sell small Lay  at double price also small coke at 30 baht.

 

Ask them all why----answer  because this is the airport.....     

Even the 7-11 at BKK charge 10% more on most items,  because this is the airport.

No excuse about rents being high,  city center 7-11  pay more rent---FACT

 

[scorecard]

19 hours ago, colinneil said:

PM orders check on high food and drink prices !!

I can give him the answer, it is the extremely high rents they have to pay to do business there.

 

Proven by the fact that AOT was a few days ago declared the most successful (in terms of being a business) airports operator in the world.

 

A question - Is AOT focused on the right objectives?  No. 

[geisha]

What is bad at the airports, especially Suvarnabhumi, is that there is not  one !!! good restaurant there’ ! 

[jmacken306]

12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I already answered that, but to repeat, food is available at Family Mart and can be taken through security to airside, and same with an empty water bottle to fill at a free water dispenser.

I think the PM doesn't travel by plane much, a $1 beer in the store, might be $1.50 in the bar, but in an airport it's around $10 dollars in the USA OH!!! If you take food unto a international flight EAT IT! on the plane and Don't take a free banana from the airplane ( international) thru customs in the USA, the Sniffer Dog will get you! They took the banana away from me, marked my ticket and I had to have my suitcases x-rayed again.

[Inepto Cracy]

The items that get confiscated before you go through security is a scamand a rip-off.

All the unopened bottles of water, soft drinks, chocolates etc, are all taken away and restocked and resold at the various shops again. Double and tripple resale income to the shops.

These high prices apply to Phuket and Chaing Mai airports too.

Many times I have asked at the security Xray conveyor belt what they do with the confiscated cokes....answer is "We throw away".

On seven occasions, I have taken two small cokes out of their so called bin and drunk them,  then and there, before going through security.

In your tummy, that's carry on luggage duh!

Free cokes at some other travellers expense.

Is that not a rip-off scam?

Corruption...you can't beat the stealing.

[Ivanovitch]

12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

?????????????

It is free at water dispensers.

I always take an empty bottle through to fill up on air side.

 

Jepp, I do the same :-) Why pay 40 B :-)

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

29 minutes ago, baboon said:

I don't think there is anybody claiming that anything other than drinking water should be free, but come on - It is price gouging, pure and simple. Let's call a spade a spade here.

Maybe the retailers do have to pay astronomical rents, so it is price gouging by the landlords. However I will wager they add a little bit extra for themselves too. Besides, why rent there in the first place if you are unable to sell your stuff at anything like a reasonable price? It sure as hell isn't because they care about you or I...

BKK has way more options available then most international airports, I don't remember the prices at 7/11 being that jacked. There is a cheaper food court with prices even local workers will tolerate. The areas inside the departure terminal are rented out at a huge premium by AOT and yes prices are high. I think they are largely appropriate and will not change after the PMs investigation maybe a bottle of water promotion 20 baht for a few weeks then it will be forgotten.

 

I was there Tuesday BTW gave  Dean and Deluca and their pizza a pass because the line was SO LONG with people angered by high food and drink prices I could not be bothered and had to make due with overcooked spag bol from the lounge. 

Edited January 11, 2018 by ChiangMaiLightning2143

[baboon]

2 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

BKK has way more options available then most international airports, I don't remember the prices at 7/11 being that jacked. There is a cheaper food court with prices even local workers will tolerate. The areas inside the departure terminal are rented out at a huge premium by AOT and yes prices are high. I think they are largely appropriate and will not change after the PMs investigation maybe a bottle of water promotion 20 baht for a few weeks then it will be forgotten.

 

I was there Tuesday BTW gave  Dean and Deluca and their pizza a pass because the line was SO LONG with people angered by high food and drink prices I could not be bothered and had to make due with overcooked spag bol from in the lounge. 

Thanks a bunch, pal. I could murder a pizza or a spag bol, overcooked or not, now you have put the notion in my head.

 

Just because there are those who will stump up the extra doesn't mean they aren't being ripped off...

[KneeDeep]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

It's a standard practice that airports are 50-100% more expensive then outside but the shop rental is higher also hence the prices charged.

But at least someone is aware and checking it out ....  good job  !

 

Perhaps, but Suvarnabhumi prices are up to 300% more than prices outside.

When I was paying 60 baht outside for an ample portion of khao niew ma muang(containing a whole mango, sometimes one and a half mangoes) the King Power shops were charging 180 baht for half a mango and a couple of spoonfuls of sticky rice. That is not 50 to 100%. That is 300% to 600%. How much is a drinking coconut at the airport?

If it were 50% to 100%, no one would be complaining.

 

It's just another disgusting and blatant rip-off. Greedy bar stewards.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

3 hours ago, KhunMhee said:

So the news flash is that airports charge more than the streets? Wow that's been going on forever. Look at the real criminal the price of rent at Airports. Shops are expensive in a building likely very heavily subsidised by the government. Then follow the money trail to where it's being spent or in the extreme case who's pocket its filling. Nuff said but that's a realistic look into things to thump ones chest and bark loudly will distract the masses and make one look amazing 

And looking good in what is supposed to be election year cannot be a bad thing for the General (oops, sorry, chief politician), particularly when he currently has no opposition.  His regular TV broadcasts and campaign trails around the country, often involving "gift" project announcements,  also ensure that he has at least several months electioneering under his belt than any of his potential rivals.

[quandow]

19 hours ago, shady86 said:

Consumers can decide which shop to patronize but water should be give free or sold at reasonable price because it cannot be brought in.

Plenty of water fountains available. I ALWAYS bring a plastic water bottle with me, there are convenient filling stations as well.

[quandow]

I don't see swampy being any more expensive than other international airports. They're ALL price gouging thieves with captive audiences.

[KneeDeep]

1 minute ago, quandow said:

I don't see swampy being any more expensive than other international airports. They're ALL price gouging thieves with captive audiences.

 

But it is.....

[jaltsc]

19 hours ago, shady86 said:

Consumers can decide which shop to patronize but water should be give free or sold at reasonable price because it cannot be brought in.

But an empty 1.5 liter bottle can be brought in and filled at the water fountain once past security. 

 

However, you are correct that airports around the world charge ridiculous prices for water ($5 for 220 ml in some American airports), and one shouldn't have to go through such a hassle for something that is a necessity and not a luxury.  The same goes for restaurants that charge for water. Fortunately, there are still places in Thailand that continue the long standing tradition of offering free water to all.