Pity the kids - this is what some are getting for lunch for 21 baht - is someone creaming off the top?

[webfact]

Picture: Sanook

 

Sanook reported after a well known site revealed the meager portion and lack of quality of a school lunch.

 

It was supposed to cost 21 baht - the media said "pity the children".

 

The page that translates as "So you wanna be famous..." showed the lunch from a kindergarten in Prachuap Khiri Khan, the province on the way to the south and called for an investigation.

 

They wanted to know if those offering the lunch were creaming money off the top. 

 

Several sections on the lunch tray - that were supposed to contain fruit and a sweet so that the children got a semblance of balance in their diet - were just empty.

 

In recent years there have been many such stories with the Thai public convinced that school directors are appropriating budgets and educational authorities turn a blind eye to the corruption, notes ASEAN NOW. 

 

The post suggested the media step up and look into the matter. 

 

Not surprisingly in defamation rampant Thailand the school was not identified,

 

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[2baht]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

They wanted to know if those offering the lunch were creaming money off the top. 

Well, that would be the business plan, would it not?

[worgeordie]

Please sir may I have some more......

 

regards Worgeordie

[Iamfalang]

First day in Thailand?

 

After these kids eat whatever that is..........they are FORCED to buy ice cream, shop at the on-site store that sells everything, buy more stuff from venders right next to the cafeteria.  

 

"Lunch" is 20 baht.    Added junk food filled with sugar.....100 baht.     full, fat, and ready for more!!!!   Big money made off these customers............errr..... students.  

[Gottfrid]

Creaming of the top? To me it certainly looks like they are down to the bottom.

[law ling]

Well, Thais would know if it's B21 value or not - and if not, I hope the anti-corruption PM steps in and has a total shake-up of the system - so the kids would get better lunches for two or three weeks ... before it slips back to normal.

[mikebell]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

They wanted to know if those offering the lunch were creaming money off the top. 

It's a national characteristic - it starts with the cops and goes up to the tops.

[Emster23]

38 minutes ago, mikebell said:

It's a national characteristic - it starts with the cops and goes up to the tops.

It starts far below the cops.... bureaucrats in low level positions just to do simple seeming job requiring "incentives"

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

They wanted to know if those offering the lunch were creaming money off the top. 

 

In recent years there have been many such stories with the Thai public convinced that school directors are appropriating budgets and educational authorities turn a blind eye to the corruption, notes ASEAN NOW. 

Well, TiT...

[BangkokReady]

49 minutes ago, mikebell said:

It's a national characteristic - it starts with the cops and goes up to the tops.

No.  It starts at the bottom and goes to the top.

[jvs]

2 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

First day in Thailand?

 

After these kids eat whatever that is..........they are FORCED to buy ice cream, shop at the on-site store that sells everything, buy more stuff from venders right next to the cafeteria.  

 

"Lunch" is 20 baht.    Added junk food filled with sugar.....100 baht.     full, fat, and ready for more!!!!   Big money made off these customers............errr..... students.  

Some do but some kids just do not have the money to buy junk,i am not sure if they are the lucky ones or not.

In either case ,just another rip off in Thailand.

 

[tingtong]

A small apple at the market = 10 thb, a somewhat larger = 15thb.

A banana approx = 7-8thb ( think 7-11 sells for 9?)

A cup noodle soup in 7-11 cost 15thb plus.

A cup of yoghurt cos 14 thb, one with a bit muesli 20thb.

Just a few samples...

 

If the school food budget is 21thb per day, and one supposed to serve the kids from it too, and turn some profit too,

 

The reality that 21 thb won't buy a lot of balanced diet nowadays.

But understand why it may be hard to swallow that fact by some.

[SoilSpoil]

5 minutes ago, tingtong said:

A small apple at the market = 10 thb, a somewhat larger = 15thb.

A banana approx = 7-8thb ( think 7-11 sells for 9?)

A cup noodle soup in 7-11 cost 15thb plus.

A cup of yoghurt cos 14 thb, one with a bit muesli 20thb.

Just a few samples...

 

If the school food budget is 21thb per day, and one supposed to serve the kids from it too, and turn some profit too,

 

The reality that 21 thb won't buy a lot of balanced diet nowadays.

But understand why it may be hard to swallow that fact by some.

Pineapples are 15 baht where I live, bananas 30 baht for a bunch with at least 10 bananas. Local veggies are basically free, rice, eggs and soy are cheap, and with the economies of scale, schools should be able to provide a basic healthy meal for 20 baht. It takes effort and motivation, but it is possible. School don't buy bananas at the 7-11, nor do they give yoghurt with muesli.

[BKKTRAVELER]

13 minutes ago, tingtong said:

A small apple at the market = 10 thb, a somewhat larger = 15thb.

A banana approx = 7-8thb ( think 7-11 sells for 9?)

A cup noodle soup in 7-11 cost 15thb plus.

A cup of yoghurt cos 14 thb, one with a bit muesli 20thb.

Just a few samples...

 

If the school food budget is 21thb per day, and one supposed to serve the kids from it too, and turn some profit too,

 

The reality that 21 thb won't buy a lot of balanced diet nowadays.

But understand why it may be hard to swallow that fact by some.

Schools buy in bulk at a much lower cost than 7/11. But I agree that 21 Baht doesn't give much, especially nowadays. They should be able to add a fruit and a veggie for that price though.

 

Tough times for everyone, it's just a shame that children pay the price too.

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

First day in Thailand?

 

After these kids eat whatever that is..........they are FORCED to buy ice cream, shop at the on-site store that sells everything, buy more stuff from venders right next to the cafeteria.  

 

"Lunch" is 20 baht.    Added junk food filled with sugar.....100 baht.     full, fat, and ready for more!!!!   Big money made off these customers............errr..... students.  

My Thai son mentioned there was an incident where a paid influencer was 'forcing' kids to select snacks, kamon, ice cream manufactured by a specific company and then the influencer was ensuring they took their 'selection' to the cashier.

 

Hate this whole idea of influencers. When I was still lecturing at uni I discovered several times (as did other Thai and farang lecturers) influencers in my classes who were pushing other students hard to buy crappy cosmetics, insurance policies, clothes, cars, condos are more. And in some cases making nasty public comments about students who refused to buy stuff they were pushing.

 

One Thai lady professor got so angry about it she set up a table, told the influencers to display their wares (cosmetics, supplements, clothes and more, which they quickly did), then demanded they provide, on the spot, real specific documented proof that these products had strong value. Most of the student/influencers fled and never reappeared. 

 

Next morning she held an open discussion giving every student an opportunity to speak and share their thoughts. Lots of negative comments about the influencers. One student asked for the uni to make a total ban on any activity on campus to sell any products at all. Big applause, and the uni did take some action.

 

 

[trainman34014]

Not 'someone' creaming off the top but 'who' ?      Everyone including the Parents knows what's going on and it's the Parents who have to protest until it stops.   Too many times the dumbed down Folks of Thailand just let those they believe are 'above' them walk all over them instead of bringing them down !

[scorecard]

49 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Not 'someone' creaming off the top but 'who' ?      Everyone including the Parents knows what's going on and it's the Parents who have to protest until it stops.   Too many times the dumbed down Folks of Thailand just let those they believe are 'above' them walk all over them instead of bringing them down !

True of course. But all too often they are afraid of those 'above' them and unfortunately sometimes for good reason.

 

It shouldn't be like this but it is and it won't change soon...

[jchfriis]

4 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

No.  It starts at the bottom and goes to the top.

I disagree. It starts at the top and spreads from there.

[BangkokReady]

2 minutes ago, jchfriis said:

I disagree. It starts at the top and spreads from there.

Bottom to top, top to bottom, doesn't really matter.  It is happening at every level is the point.

[Tarteso]

Killing me softly with this food ????????

[Photoguy21]

The information is out in the public domain so what are the authorities now going to do about it? My guess would be nothing just a lot of hot air to make themselves look good.

Do what is necessary and words are not required.

[mikeymike100]

5 hours ago, Emster23 said:

It starts far below the cops.... bureaucrats in low level positions just to do simple seeming job requiring "incentives"

Quite right. the problem is "çorruption" is endemic, however its not just in Thailand.

 

[welshissan]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

A small apple at the market = 10 thb, a somewhat larger = 15thb.

A banana approx = 7-8thb ( think 7-11 sells for 9?)

A cup noodle soup in 7-11 cost 15thb plus.

A cup of yoghurt cos 14 thb, one with a bit muesli 20thb.

Just a few samples...

 

If the school food budget is 21thb per day, and one supposed to serve the kids from it too, and turn some profit too,

 

The reality that 21 thb won't buy a lot of balanced diet nowadays.

But understand why it may be hard to swallow that fact by some.

Yes it's 21 baht per child.

So how many children are in the school 20, 75, 250 ? I'm sure that they buy items in bulk because it's cheaper. Same as the military 

[Cake Monster]

9 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

First day in Thailand?

 

After these kids eat whatever that is..........they are FORCED to buy ice cream, shop at the on-site store that sells everything, buy more stuff from venders right next to the cafeteria.  

 

"Lunch" is 20 baht.    Added junk food filled with sugar.....100 baht.     full, fat, and ready for more!!!!   Big money made off these customers............errr..... students.  

And even bigger Money made by the School and associated partners for the rent on these stalls selling all the junk food.

Does anybody actually believe they are allowed to sell this rubbish to the kids free of rental for their Stalls ?

[Mavideol]

9 hours ago, 2baht said:

Well, that would be the business plan, would it not?

that and having a cut on the tuk tuk/tricycle selling sweets at the school exit.... it appears it's an old tradition to cream off the top anything on anybody here

[rudi49jr]

“Is someone creaming off the top?”

 

That’s a rhetorical question, right?

[BangkokReady]

4 hours ago, scorecard said:

One student asked for the uni to make a total ban on any activity on campus to sell any products at all.

I can't believe they're allowed to do it in the first place. (Although obviously I can because TiT, but still the Western part of your brain clicks in and asks "Why the hell are educators allowed to do this to children and young adults?". A question you find yourself asking many times in Thailand.)

[djayz]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

They wanted to know if those offering the lunch were creaming money off the top. 

Is the pope Catholic?

 

 

 

 

 

[Purdey]

One BMA school I know grows its own veggies and has a pool for fish. These contribute to the balanced diet of school lunches. Also teaches kids how to grow food for themselves. 

Some NGOs are doing this in rural schools. It just makes sense not to rely on the government.

It isn't just schools, one prison I visited was providing prisoners with vegetables only and the money for meat kind of got lost in the post.

 

[Chaspul]

Invite Jamie Oliver,  world class Chef to Thailand.

He would reform meals for Thai school children  as he has done around the world. 

He uses TV and media, visiting school kitchens  and broadcast the results both good and bad