Thai grocery trucks get new life from coronavirus shutdown

[webfact]

Thai grocery trucks get new life from coronavirus shutdown

By Juarawee Kittisilpa

 

 

A mobile grocery truck of grocer Wannapa Yarnsarn, loaded with fresh produce, is seen along a street, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, April 10, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

PATHUM THANI, Thailand (Reuters) - Cries of "Food, here comes the food," echoed through a Bangkok neighbourhood as Wannapa Yarnsarn's truck arrived with everything from mangoes and dried chillies to fresh pork for sale.

 

People emerged from homes where they have been sheltering in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, choosing their shopping from display racks packed with bags of produce on the back of the truck.

 

For generations such mobile shops were common in Thai neighbourhoods but new shopping malls with their big supermarkets and convenience stores with microwave-ready meals have nearly driven them out of business.

 

Now the coronavirus outbreak has given some of the back-of-a-truck shops a new lease of life.

 

"Although I'm scared of the virus, I still have to come out and sell, otherwise customers won't have anything to eat," said Wannapa, as she weighed and bagged produce for her customers.

 

Wannapa said business had been good since the coronavirus virus emerged in January with an average daily profit of 2,200 baht ($67) compared with about 1,800 baht ($55) before.

 

Panalee Phatrapradit, the director of a wholesale market that serves hundreds of trucks plying their trade in Bangkok, also said the virus outbreak was good for a business that had long been in decline.

 

"Over the years, customers have gradually changed their behaviour because they have more choices, more access to products than before," she said.

"But once COVID-19 hit, the trucks are doing better because more people are staying home, and they're buying more per household."

 

Thailand has reported 2,613 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 41 fatalities.

 

The government is trying to limit social gatherings and is urging people to stay at home. Shopping malls have been ordered to close except for restaurant deliveries and supermarkets, and a six-hour curfew is in force at night.

 

"There are too many people at the supermarkets," said Thepparak Bankajee, 43, an industrial worker now staying at home.

 

"We don't want to go out anyway because we all know that the food truck will be here."

 

(Additional reporting and writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-14

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[cornishcarlos]

That's a good profit 2.2k per day... 

Good for him 

[rasmus5150]

I have always wondered. Why is it the same food truck in the same "moo-baan" years after years?

 

If this is good business, how come they don't have any competition from other trucks? Is this business regulated somehow? And by whom? - just wondering.

[anterian]

Until recently we have always has a morning truck and an evening truck, both established sellers. Recently there has been a rise of smaller sidecar food trucks or even motorbike food sellers. The only thing I need to leave the village for is bread and milk farang style produce. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Wannapa said business had been good since the coronavirus virus emerged in January with an average daily profit of 2,200 baht ($67) compared with about 1,800 baht ($55) before.

Over 60k per month profit. That will help fill the national coffers when she files her income tax return........????

[Khun Paul]

Unhealthy, un-refrigerated and dirty, open to the elements. Enterprising I am sure but HEALTHY...No-way !!

[Tarteso]

1 hour ago, Khun Paul said:

Unhealthy, un-refrigerated and dirty, open to the elements. Enterprising I am sure but HEALTHY...No-way !!

At Same conditions you will find them in the market. I don’t think that in the markets of the villas there is a control by the health and hygiene inspectors

Edited April 15, 2020 by Tarteso

[GreasyFingers]

7 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

Unhealthy, un-refrigerated and dirty, open to the elements. Enterprising I am sure but HEALTHY...No-way !!

Keep 100 metres away from them and you will be ok.

[timendres]

12 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

Unhealthy, un-refrigerated and dirty, open to the elements. Enterprising I am sure but HEALTHY...No-way !!

Never had a problem with the items I purchase. But then again, I happen to wash and cook my food.

[ericthai]

13 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

Unhealthy, un-refrigerated and dirty, open to the elements. Enterprising I am sure but HEALTHY...No-way !!

yes worry about all that, not that vegetables are grown in dirt, <deleted> on by animals, <deleted> on by birds. Enterprising?? These trucks have been around forever. 

[Assurancetourix]

On 4/14/2020 at 3:35 PM, webfact said:

Wannapa said business had been good since the coronavirus virus emerged in January with an average daily profit of 2,200 baht ($67) compared with about 1,800 baht ($55) before.

Like all Thai people, he confuses turnover with net profit.

With good luck, he has a negative net profit before taxes if he pays ...
Why negative?
Quite simply because he considers that the depreciation of his "truck" which is not one but which is a pickup does not enter into account in his provisional budget;
no more than diesel and its salary ...