Thai Airways to sell food in 7-Eleven

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

Thai Airways has cooked up a new plan designed to give a much needed boost to its finances.

 

From April 15, the cash strapped airline, which is facing bankruptcy, will start selling food items at 7-Eleven.

 

According to the airline’s catering general manager, Wachakana Lurojwong, the first food items on offer will include a halal chicken biryani and nam phrik long ruea (a shrimp chili paste with sweet pork and crispy-fluffy fish).

 

The meals will be on sale at branches of 7-Eleven nationwide, Kapook reported. 

 

A tea seed oil salad dressing will also be sold at branches of Tops, Gourmet Market and Central Food Hall.

 

The move comes at a time when all airlines presumably have a surplus of meals given the lack of people taking flights currently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

This isn’t the first time Thai Airways has explored new potential revenue streams amid the pandemic. 

 

Customers eat at Thai Airways pop-up airplane-themed restaurant at the airlines headquarters with onboard meals prepared by their chefs, while their fleet is still grounded at the airport. Reuters

 

Last September, it opened a restaurant at its Bangkok HQ which only served in-flight meals.

 

In November, it launched a one off ‘flight to nowhere’ dubbed the "THAI Magical Flying Experience Campaign" which flew over some of Thailand’s holiest religious sites.

 

And in another bid to raise cash, the airline has also auctioned off everything from planes to cutlery and other in-flight items.

 

Some of its office buildings have also been leased out to businesses looking for office space. 

 

In February 2021, the airline posted record losses of $4.7 billion.

 

 

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[Pilotman]

Brilliant, I just love my morning chuckle and this is it for today.  Yep, that will turn their fortunes around.  I have a better idea.  Outsource the catering function for the airline and slash the over head. Absolutely no reason why any airline should be doing its own catering.  Very 1990s. 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Pilotman

[Excel]

20 to 30 years ago Thai airways food was always generally good on board. With the service dropping off I last flew Thai around 2008 so I would anticipate it only got worse. Now they wish to inundate the entire nation with it. Can't see that selling well but there again their sales and marketing team do leave a lot to be desired. Better selling Thai plastic planes, hats, bags and Tee shirts I would have thought.

[Thaiwrath]

I can't see it competing with other food on sale there, as I imagine Thai Airways food would be far too plain ! ????????????????

Edited April 4, 2021 by Thaiwrath

[PatOngo]

Will the airline food at 7/11 be free for hiso snouts like their airline seats are?

[madmitch]

Well, that's really going to put them back into profit!

[John Drake]

How delicious! Airline food available 24/7.

[bluesofa]

31 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

the cash strapped airline, which is facing bankruptcy, will start selling food items at 7-Eleven.

Will they be 'sky-high' prices?

[Don Aleman]

If it is off the airline flight menu it will be a very tough and I know over priced sell !

[smedly]

22 minutes ago, John Drake said:

How delicious! Airline food available 24/7.

don't you mean 747 lol

 

if they got rid of the free loaders and the bulk of senior management were disposed of plus an 80% reduction in there top heavy salaries people might actually take them seriously 

 

 

 

[ParkerN]

Just now, smedly said:

don't you mean 747 lol

 

if they got rid of the free loaders and the bulk of senior management were disposed of plus an 80% reduction in there top heavy salaries people might actually take them seriously 

 

 

 

 

Notice the word 'might'.

 

I doubt there is anything these people s do to rehabilitate themselves. They're Thais, ipso facto this is a foul-up. It's only to be expected. Hi-so and pooyay freeloaders? Entirely consistent with Thai culture. again, only to be expected that the 'something for nothing' brigade will want to get their snouts in the trough.

 

Hey ho, on to the next lunatic scheme...

 

[scorecard]

I hope they have done a very detailed and accurate cost analysis.

 

Seems to me without very large daily sales it would be difficult to make a profit.

 

On the other hand, I wonder if CP foods really wants competition for their own very large and successful sales of prepared/packaged foods. 

[scorecard]

58 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

Notice the word 'might'.

 

I doubt there is anything these people s do to rehabilitate themselves. They're Thais, ipso facto this is a foul-up. It's only to be expected. Hi-so and pooyay freeloaders? Entirely consistent with Thai culture. again, only to be expected that the 'something for nothing' brigade will want to get their snouts in the trough.

 

Hey ho, on to the next lunatic scheme...

 

 

I won't be surprised if this includes the free loading first class hi-sos who could well continue to demand the freebies because in their view they are entitled regardless of bankruptcy or whatever. 

[djayz]

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. 

[Wiggy]

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Brilliant, I just love my morning chuckle and this is it for today.  Yep, that will turn their fortunes around.  I have a better idea.  Outsource the catering function for the airline and slash the over head. Absolutely no reason why any airline should be doing its own catering.  Very 1990s. 

Exactly right, outsource it and then there are no overheads when you’re not flying. This is airline operations science, not rocket science. 

[oldhippy]

6 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

Exactly right, outsource it and then there are no overheads when you’re not flying. This is airline operations science, not rocket science. 

Of couse, that is what they plan to do!

Or does anyone expect them to set up a supply chain from their kitchen in BKK?

 

It is just a scam.

They will sell the right to use their name - just like all other franchising businesses do, but without strict quality controls.

Not that there would be much quality to be controlled.

 

[tifino]

wonder they haven't tried as suppliers for Uber eats flights?

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

Exactly right, outsource it and then there are no overheads when you’re not flying. This is airline operations science, not rocket science. 

Good points and I know that over the years my consulting company in Bkk (and other consultants) suggested to TG that their organization structure was getting out of hand and losing focus, plus overall staff numbers and *management positions out of control and overall not productive.

 

As mentioned far better to give a contract to an outside caterer (for F&B) and fine them/cancel the contract if they don't meet the agreed goals.

 

(* For many many years they kept on adding management positions which had no managerial outputs/responsibilities, and had no reporting staff. Trying to discuss this with their seniors quickly revealed that they were hoping nobody would notice.)

 

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by scorecard

[RichardColeman]

Sure a Thai Airways English Breakfast will go down like a lead balloon 

[khunPer]

I once bought a pair of triple seats from Lufthansa. In the unbearable bright light of hindsight I should have kept them, and brought the with me when I moved down here, now that I can buy gourmet flight-meals in 7-Eleven, I could pretend to fly around in the big World in spite of Covid-lockdowns...????

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

(Thai Airways) will start selling food items at 7-Eleven.

 

Will facemasks automatically drop from the ceiling if an infected customer walks in???

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

I wouldn't eat their airline "food" when it was "free," why would I pay to eat it!

[champers]

Do you get a free sick bag with every purchase?

[bangsaenguy]

Is CP buying Thai Air, too?

[toolpush]

This article was obviously published today by mistake. It was meant to be published April 1.

[Cake Monster]

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

Well, that's really going to put them back into profit!

Is this the best idea they can come up with to get out of Administration.

It is no wonder why the Airline is in trouble with such thinking as this.

Very sad.

[Flying Saucage]

Thanks, but no thanks. HavIng heard this "chicken rice or pork noodle?" question far to often on Thai Airways fights, I really prefer to eat nothing instead.

[digger70]

8 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

From April 15, the cash strapped airline, which is facing bankruptcy, will start selling food items at 7-Eleven.

Why can't they just kop it on the chin and pack up and fade away. They are Broke ,Finished. 

[burger1]

Hopefully 7/11 will also start selling alternative food on-board

[madmen]

Finally they can soon afford to refund billions of baht in cancelled fares