AOT denies report on pricey water at airports

By The Nation

 

Photo from: www.thaich.net

 

Airports of Thailand (AOT) has denied as “inaccurate” complaints about the excessive prices for food and drinks at Don Mueang and Suvarnbhumi airports as reported in a Japanese-language travel website.

 

Passengers’ complaints about the high price of bottled water at Don Mueang Airport – Bt40 – was first reported on the www.thaich.net website and later shared on the Facebook of Bangkok-based Japanese businessman Akihiro Koki Tomikawa who complained that a bottle of water at Suvarnabhumi Airport also cost Bt40.

 

In response to the article shared on Facebook of the Japanese expat, AOT issued a statement on Wednesday, saying the report is “inaccurate” because a 500ml bottle of water costs less than Bt10. 

 

Mineral water costs between Bt25-50 depending on the manufacturer and brand, it said.

 

Tomikawa, who has over 60,000 followers on his Facebook page, became known to the public after he complained about taxis overcharging foreign passengers at Suvarnabhumi three years ago.

 

The statement said AOT had asked for cooperation from vendors to add at least one budget dish on their menu and put price tags on all goods. It said it had publicised that there is a free water machine and an affordable food court as an alternative.

 

It also said the AOT had set a condition to vendors that the price of goods and services should not be more than 20-25 per cent of market price but it depended on economic situation and the cost of living in the airport location.

 

Reacting to complaints from passengers, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered relevant agencies on Tuesday to probe why the prices of food and drinks at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports were very high.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30336038

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-1-11

I have a funny feeling that the complainant may have difficulty renewing his permission to stay.

A more constructive response than the tourism minister's, anyway...

This nasty Japanese man is clearly a trouble maker, Thais are honest people and do not rip people off. I have never paid over the odds in a Thai airport, apart from every time I have been in one.

So, which khlong is the "mineral" water from ?

Airport prices are over the top everywhere. 

At swampy you can use the 7/11 for cheap stuff, up 2 u. 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

It also said the AOT had set a condition to vendors that the price of goods and services should not be more than 20-25 per cent of market price but it depended on economic situation and the cost of living in the airport location

B0ll0x

 

 

32 minutes ago, Oziex1 said:

Airport prices are over the top everywhere. 

At swampy you can use the 7/11 for cheap stuff, up 2 u. 

True, but you can't get it through security if your purchase is liquid...

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

In response to the article shared on Facebook of the Japanese expat, AOT issued a statement on Wednesday, saying the report is “inaccurate” because a 500ml bottle of water costs less than Bt10. 

So the price tag in this picture is a fata morgana then?

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

It also said the AOT had set a condition to vendors that the price of goods and services should not be more than 20-25 per cent of market price but it depended on economic situation and the cost of living in the airport location.

 

A prime example of what should happen versus what does happen. However it provides vendors a 'Rip off out of jail free' card.

Overpricing ? You forgot to mention " King Power " Duty Free where the prices are anything but duty free prices. In fact they are often higher than " Tax Paid " high street shops , 

I wonder whose pocket the " Duty Free " tax  goes in  

......"The statement said AOT had asked for cooperation from vendors to add at least one budget dish on their menu and put price tags on all goods. It said it had publicised that there is a free water machine and an affordable food court as an alternative.

 

It also said the AOT had set a condition to vendors that the price of goods and services should not be more than 20-25 per cent of market price but it depended on economic situation and the cost of living in the airport location......."

 

So lets dig a little deeper into the above comments from AOT.....

First of all AOT deny the fact that food and drink prices are excessive......so if that's the case why did they ask the food vendors to ...add at least one budget dish on their menus..... there would surely be no need too if the current prices for food weren't excessive...!!

 

...an affordable food court as an alternative......meaning any other food purchased within the two airports is unaffordable..?

 

It also said the AOT had set a condition to vendors that the price of goods and services should not be more than 20-25 per cent of market price but it depended on economic situation and the cost of living in the airport location.......ah ha... in other words...we (AOT) are not going to do a damn thing about the excessive cost of food and drink within the airports and although we have set the condition that that prices should not exceed 20-25%...we never actually check that they aren't, but now, having been instructed by General Prayuth to actually check the prices we will form a "price checking committee" and get back to you sometime in the future.

 

The AoT could care less about food prices......they make so much money from the vendors and service providers....

 

1 hour ago, johncat1 said:

Overpricing ? You forgot to mention " King Power " Duty Free where the prices are anything but duty free prices. In fact they are often higher than " Tax Paid " high street shops , 

I wonder whose pocket the " Duty Free " tax  goes in  

You are under no obligation to  buy the unnecessary products on sale at the airport retailers anymore than you are obliged to purchase shoddy merchandise from street vendors. Your claim is inaccurate. The goods for the most part are  usually slightly less costly, but I have yet to see anything  higher than  similar on sale at higher end retailers such as those found in a Central.

 

Overall, the .  airport pricing of goods and services is still much less than the goods available at foreign airports such as Moscow, London, Paris, New York  etc. Compare  the prices with  TYO,  HKG, ICN, LAX, FCO etc.  Bangkok  does okay. 

 

Why do people expect Thailand to price a bottle of gin for so much less than another airport anyway? 

 

24 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Overall, the .  airport pricing of goods and services is still much less than the goods available at foreign airports such as Moscow, London, Paris, New York  etc. Compare  the prices with  TYO,  HKG, ICN, LAX, FCO etc.  Bangkok  does okay. 

Those airports have much higher standards, much more/better security around, good smoking rooms, english speaking staff everywhere, cushioned seats, free wifi without stupid questions which take 10 minutes to get wifi.

 

The toilets on Thai airports are also very bad and smelly, many times i ran out without going to toilet because of the smell.

 

And on the mentioned airports it's not that warm so you don't need to drink so much water. 

"It also said the AOT had set a condition to vendors that the price of goods and services should not be more than 20-25 per cent of market price but it depended on economic situation and the cost of living in the airport location."

So this suggests Airport prices should be 75% to 80% lower than prices outside the airport ????

I'd like to see a chart that shows price of drinks at the airport after the ban on taking liquids into the departure lounges. These shops must have benefited more from terrorism than anyone else

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I'd like to see a chart that shows price of drinks at the airport after the ban on taking liquids into the departure lounges. These shops must have benefited more from terrorism than anyone else

It's for securityreasons that we can't bring water into the airport, but i don't even see armed security at the Thai airports at all.

 

In Singapore and Malaysia you can't miss them, groups of 3 young muscled healthy strong men with huge machineguns are everywhere and not digging their noses. They are ready to shoot.

 

Last time at Don Mueang there was an abandoned backpack standing next to me for 15 minutes so i decided to report it, the girl at the desk couldn't speak english and i couldn't find any securityguy at all.

 

14 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

You are under no obligation to  buy the unnecessary products on sale at the airport retailers anymore than you are obliged to purchase shoddy merchandise from street vendors. Your claim is inaccurate. The goods for the most part are  usually slightly less costly, but I have yet to see anything  higher than  similar on sale at higher end retailers such as those found in a Central.

 

Overall, the .  airport pricing of goods and services is still much less than the goods available at foreign airports such as Moscow, London, Paris, New York  etc. Compare  the prices with  TYO,  HKG, ICN, LAX, FCO etc.  Bangkok  does okay. 

 

Why do people expect Thailand to price a bottle of gin for so much less than another airport anyway? 

 

But this thread is specifically about water.

It's not unreasonable that when you are forced to give up your water at security that you be given at least the opportunity to buy a replacement in the waiting area at a similar cost-not at 4 or 5 times the price of the bottle that was confiscated?

 

56 minutes ago, midas said:

But this thread is specifically about water.

It's not unreasonable that when you are forced to give up your water at security that you be given at least the opportunity to buy a replacement in the waiting area at a similar cost-not at 4 or 5 times the price of the bottle that was confiscated?

 

I always try to sneak a bottle through in my carry-on. Usually get caught-but not always. Unfortunately, they seem to be so focused on water bottles that I think they could easily miss weapons.

35 minutes ago, whaleboneman said:

I always try to sneak a bottle through in my carry-on. Usually get caught-but not always. Unfortunately, they seem to be so focused on water bottles that I think they could easily miss weapons.

.....................or I wonder if this would work in Thailand airports?

 

 

 

Quote

 

Common knowledge says that all liquids must be stored in containers weighing 3.4 ounces or less and zipped up in a small plastic bag when flying. But few people know that TSA regulations do allow any number of frozen liquids through the security checkpoint. That goes for frozen water bottles, too.

Don’t believe us? The TSA website states: “Frozen liquid items are allowed through the checkpoint as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen liquid items are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 liquids requirements.”

 

 

https://www.rd.com/advice/travel/airport-security-water/

 

In Ho Chi Minh recently I saw small bottles of water on sale for US$2 and a piece of cheese between two slices of bread (not worth describing as a sandwich) for US$5.

 

Phnom Penh duty free sells small bottles of pepper sauce for more than a large bottle costs in the Mustafa Centre in Singapore.

 

Likewise, Swiss chocolate in Zurich Airport duty free, cheaper in Mustafa Centre.

 

First rule of buying duty free: Know the regular High Street price and never assume DF is automatically less.

 

Heathrow Airport occasionally gets caught out with stories of bottles of whisky on sale cheaper in local off licences than DF at the airport. The airport was in the news so often over pricing rip offs they had to have a special advertising campaign to try and deny it.

 

The Thais are far from alone when it comes to fleecing travellers.

 

 

I've never seen the cheaper Thai water available airside at any of the AOT-run airports, as far as I know. Minere at 40 baht or Evian at over twice that is what I recall seeing.

 

The point is that the percentage mark-up of food and drink in Thailand is much more than in most countries. Singapore and Hong Kong are close to their already expensive in-town prices, KL is cheaper than Thai airports, and I'd guess that airports in Vietnam and Cambodia would have similar mark-ups to Thailand but I can't remember.

 

As for water: I usually pay the going rate before a long flight regardless of the price; it's a small amount in the whole scheme of things. WH Smiths in England have had a very good deal for many years: buy a Daily Telegraph and get a bottle of Evian free. About 80 baht for a paper and a 750ml bottle of mineral water. Bargain!