Picture: Daily News

 

The chief of the Thai Restaurant Association went to the finance minster to beg for more assistance for restaurants and street food vendors hard hit by the pandemic. 

 

Thaniwan Kulmongkhol presented proposals to Akhom Phitayaphaisit, reported Daily News. 

 

She said that restaurants in Thailand had suffered huge losses even since the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic last year and that many had been forced to shut down. 

 

She said that there are 150,000 mid to large restaurants and more than 400,000 small operations like street vendors.

 

The industry normally brings in 400 billion baht to the economy. 

 

While some larger players are able to ride out the difficulties presented by the pandemic her focus was on help for medium and small enterprises who do not have access to much needed loans.

 

Among her proposals was the establishment of loan funds with low interest rates, debt restructuring capability for small businesses and deferrment of existing loans. 

 

Smaller street businesses have been particularly hard hit with less people risking to go out and more ordering at home from more established vendors and companies. 

 

Consequently many smaller operations have been left out both when it comes to gaining custom and getting government help, something the TRA is trying to address so that more food businesses don't go to the wall. 

 

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Hundreds of thousands of many types of businesses need more help from Government.

 

Yesterday hotels, tour business, taxis and massage, today restaurants, and tomorrow car rental, language schools and coffee shops.

 

It's endemic. 

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

Smaller street businesses have been particularly hard hit

It is odd....swings and roundabouts.......the small bars and street restaurants on our soi are absolutely flat out......particularly the street restaurant selling Laos food..........they have rapidly expanded from one or two tables to take up about 50m of the street and people constantly queueing.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The chief of the Thai Restaurant Association went to the finance minster to beg for more assistance for restaurants and street food vendors hard hit by the pandemic.

I agree with help for the restaurants that have had to close according to lock-downs, but food vendors have been able to operate as normal in most places.

Around my area because of restaurant closures they've actually had more customers looking for food.

Many of the better Vendors of Street Food have ben doing really well during this outbreak.

They have learned to adapt, and not to be greedy.

Prices that used to be 40 Baht are now down to 35 or even 30 Baht, as the Vendors realise that their Customers have less money in their Pockets, and that they have to compete for their Custom.

The quality of the food, and the portion sizes have not changed.

What has changed is attitude. Attitude to make enough Profit from poor people instead of trying to make a large Profit from those same people.

It could be said that these vendors are leading the way forward for Thailand and the return of Tourists.

Stopping the Gouging, and giving fair product for a fair price.

What about the bars that have been forced to close, but still have to pay rent to greedy landlords.

Should be a moratorium that limits rent to 40% of normal while closed