Why does McDonalds cost so much in Thailand?

[Hamus Yaigh]

Perhaps the Thai baht is overpriced?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac_Index

[Rampant Rabbit]

More to the  Point.Honda genuine   GX25  carburettor ,Thailand 840  baht, UK 4000 baht , same part

[bamnutsak]

https://www.economist.com/big-mac-index

 

 

Big Mac meal in U.S. is $5.99

 

Here it is 199 THB, or ~ $5.65

 

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by bamnutsak

[steven100]

18 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Carls jnr is good

I believe they've all closed down a couple of months back ...

[youreavinalaff]

22 hours ago, Excel said:

Sorry to disillusion you but by far the majority of their customers are Thai. That may be one reason they can get away with selling tasteless beef as Thais know no different.

So, who is it commenting on here and using their experience to comment? Thai people?

[Excel]

Just now, youreavinalaff said:

So, who is it commenting on here and using their experience to comment? Thai people?

Possibly one of the very minority of foreigners. Let me explain.   If the majority of customers are Thai, then that must mean the minority are "others" whom I suspect have experience in eating McD's in several other countries, hence their comments and ability to make comparisons.- get it ?

[youreavinalaff]

1 minute ago, Excel said:

Possibly one of the very minority of foreigners. Let me explain.   If the majority of customers are Thai, then that must mean the minority are "others" whom I suspect have experience in eating McD's in several other countries, hence their comments and ability to make comparisons.- get it ?

Not really. I was making the point of posters on here. Likely 100% non Thai. All commenting about McD. 

[Excel]

1 minute ago, youreavinalaff said:

Not really. I was making the point of posters on here. Likely 100% non Thai. All commenting about McD. 

In that case you are possibly correct, which illustrates clearly a comment that I made in an earlier post that "That Thais would not know the difference" so hence it would not be them complaining about the beef quality as they know no different given that they have no comparators.

[Lemsta69]

I thought the OP was some kind of investment wunderkind so why is he moaning about the price of Maccas in Thailand? 

 

ps. had a double Quarter Pounder with Cheese the other day. 100% Aussie beef mate. it was aroi mak. not as good as the Aussie Wagyu cheeseburger at the Roadhouse Barbecue* but still very tasty. I don't really care what it cost because I'm not povvo.

 

*cnr Surawong and Rama See

[dj230]

On 8/14/2022 at 2:46 PM, peterfranks said:

20 years ago all those companies like McD - BurgerKing - Pizzahut were a fraction of the price you paid in Europe.

 

It started only about 10 years or so ago that they are more expensive than Europe

actually stuff like Burger King and KFC (both owned by yum brands) is on par with north America prices, in some cases cheaper, i.e 3 piece chicken for 150 baht, usually closer to 300 baht in can

 

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

i thought they closed, certainly T21

Yea I remember when they were still around last year but they exited Thailand. You could get like 5 grilled chicken burgers for 200 baht. 

 

 

[dj230]

 

On 8/14/2022 at 2:53 PM, Mitkof Island said:

My question is. Why in the world do foreigners travel half way around the world and this is the majority both tourists and expats and they are eating at these places. 7-11, McDonald's , Burger Fling, KFC, Subway. I think if I remember correctly this is Thailand. A constant diet Pad Thai does not count as Thai food.

I could understand if someone came on holiday and got McDonalds or KFC, but if you live here I don't know why one wouldn't eat fast food. I didn't come to Thailand for the food. I can't really say I've had any thai food that was amazing, it tastes good but it isn't something I'd eat everyday. The only Thai food I have found that tastes great is mookata. I am asian though so a lot of the thai food is just a repetitive version of another asian dish so I've been eating it my whole life (even mookata). 

 

It's a convenience as well, you have McDonalds/Subway/KFC everywhere, it's actually hard to find good thai food unless you live in central bangkok, it's usually hit or miss where I live now and the quality/cleanliness isn't great (yes fast food is going to be cleaner just ask trump). Most malls have more international food than thai food and I live by a mall so choices tend to be non-thai food. 

21 hours ago, BonMot said:

It's poison.

 

Look at the obesity in US and UK. Processed food no matter if sold in a restaurant or brought home in plastic bags from supermarket.

 

Active conspiracies to poison the population. It's not a matter of choice if that's all there is to eat.

 

Bless Thailand. The animal industry aside take away the palm oil and msg and it's very healthy. Even with it it's healthier than anything in the west.

 

I always laff people live here, don't like Thai food. Never eat it.

Probably due to overeating more so than the food itself. 

Thai food isn't very healthy to be honest, it's one of the reasons I don't eat it daily. Lots of sausages/ processed meats as well. 

Usually when I do it's mookata or som tom now, the other dishes have too much oil.

 

Curious what do you usually eat in Thailand?

Edited August 15, 2022 by dj230

[peterfranks]

17 minutes ago, dj230 said:

actually stuff like Burger King and KFC (both owned by yum brands) is on par with north America prices, in some cases cheaper, i.e 3 piece chicken for 150 baht, usually closer to 300 baht in can

 

Yea I remember when they were still around last year but they exited Thailand. You could get like 5 grilled chicken burgers for 200 baht. 

 

 

Burger King has probably tripled in price since they started here.

 

I never fancied McD, and BK was in the early years about the same price but much larger burgers etc.

 

These days you must have won the lottery to afford a BK menu

 

 

[Excel]

1 minute ago, peterfranks said:

Burger King has probably tripled in price since they started here.

 

I never fancied McD, and BK was in the early years about the same price but much larger burgers etc.

 

These days you must have won the lottery to afford a BK menu

 

 

So from what you say then BK are now top of the grotty food chains both in product size and cost.

[mancub]

On 8/14/2022 at 4:11 PM, Sparktrader said:

Double McDog please

....and make it snappy !

[BonMot]

42 minutes ago, dj230 said:

Curious what do you usually eat in Thailand?

Typical Thai food. Lunch at school is always Thai. Food courts are mai aroi but cheap in BKK. I'd eat much more in street but many vendors are gone. Wife cooks at home.

 

Spaghetti would kinda be a luxury. Pizza a few times a year.

 

When we go out it's always sashimi.

 

White riv6gets boring but I'm living in E Asia, married to a Thai woman.

 

Absolutely love noodles!

 

I can eat typical Thai food 5-6am. I've pretty much adjusted.

[Peabody]

On 8/14/2022 at 3:48 PM, flyDelight said:

Don't "eat" at Mcdo it's utter garbage. Eating the poisonous chemical trash (including an ingredient called Senomyx, look it up) from that SATANIC CABAL CORPORATION, in the country with some of the world best foods is beyond retarded.

You a critical thinker? Don't check your "facts"?

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/senomyx-flavor-additive/

Edited August 15, 2022 by Peabody

[mnomad]

Rare that a thai would pay full/menu price in mcdonalds - there always some promotion linked to some credit card, mobile phone, wallet, bank app that makes paying menu price the exception rather than the norm. As a farang you can get some of these promos too but it's a lot of messing about.

[dj230]

 

3 hours ago, peterfranks said:

Burger King has probably tripled in price since they started here.

 

I never fancied McD, and BK was in the early years about the same price but much larger burgers etc.

 

These days you must have won the lottery to afford a BK menu

 

 

I found Burger King to be cheaper than McDonalds, but they don't taste as good (at least the burgers, the fried chicken tastes better at BK), can get 2 burgers at bk for the price of 1 at McDonalds. 

 

2 hours ago, mnomad said:

Rare that a thai would pay full/menu price in mcdonalds - there always some promotion linked to some credit card, mobile phone, wallet, bank app that makes paying menu price the exception rather than the norm. As a farang you can get some of these promos too but it's a lot of messing about.

Surprisingly it's mostly thai nationals in the American fast food chains, I rarely see foreigners eating there. 

Edited August 15, 2022 by dj230

[The Hammer2021]

10 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Thai food can get boring after a while and not everyone is fond of white rice, fish sauce and chilli, not to mention the focus on offal, MSG and added sugar.  Much better to eat a variety of international food.

Currently  high end western  food is great value for  money. But American  junk food is dreadful  wherever  it is served

[DrJoy]

On 8/14/2022 at 2:47 PM, Excel said:

I guess it is the Thai beef variety , so you're almost correct, not real beef.

Is it vegan beef? ????

[Excel]

1 minute ago, DrJoy said:

Is it vegan beef? ????

Well wouldn't know but doubt it because the people I see eating it when walking past appear to be normal looking Thais as vegans are generally scrawny, wear bandanas and quite often have some sort of skin infection don't they ????

[StayinThailand2much]

On 8/14/2022 at 2:46 PM, peterfranks said:

20 years ago all those companies like McD - BurgerKing - Pizzahut were a fraction of the price you paid in Europe.

 

It started only about 10 years or so ago that they are more expensive than Europe

True. I remember a hamburger costing 19 baht, a cheeseburger 22 baht, and a Big Mac less than 50 baht. That was less than 10 years ago. (In comparison, you can often get burgers in Hong Kong for 10 HK$/40 baht.)

 

McDonald's in Thailand nowadays seems to target more the middle class, with many restaurants usually not too busy.

Edited August 15, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[blackshadow]

On 8/14/2022 at 2:50 PM, peterfranks said:

https://www.mcdonalds.co.th/goodFood

 

They claim to import their beef from Oz

dont believe that

[KIngsofisaan]

On 8/14/2022 at 3:53 AM, Mitkof Island said:

My question is. Why in the world do foreigners travel half way around the world and this is the majority both tourists and expats and they are eating at these places. 7-11, McDonald's , Burger Fling, KFC, Subway. I think if I remember correctly this is Thailand. A constant diet Pad Thai does not count as Thai food.

My question is why do foreigners travel half way around the world to eat only Thai food everyday?

[peterfranks]

11 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

True. I remember a hamburger costing 19 baht, a cheeseburger 22 baht, and a Big Mac less than 50 baht. That was less than 10 years ago. (In comparison, you can often get burgers in Hong Kong for 10 HK$/40 baht, so McDonald's in Thailand nowadays seems to target more the middle class, with many restaurants usually not too busy.)

And on Tuesdays, Pizzahut 59 baht all you can eat ????

[peterfranks]

And maybe AN one day fixes their website, so that you don't get errors all time

Edited August 15, 2022 by peterfranks

[KIngsofisaan]

On 8/14/2022 at 5:25 AM, MrJ2U said:

I haven't seen one here.

 

Probably Bangkok. 

I think the one in Bangkok went out of business and closed down

[peterfranks]

On 8/14/2022 at 2:49 PM, Ralf001 said:

Ive eaten dog meat in Vietnam, McD's has the same/similar texture and flavour.

How's Troll meat, as i'm sure you eat that a lot

[KIngsofisaan]

I took my FIL from Isaan to McDonald's once and got him a burger.

 

He hated it.

 

KFC he will eat

 

MK, now that he really likes

[Ralf001]

8 minutes ago, peterfranks said:

How's Troll meat, as i'm sure you eat that a lot

Cannot say I have knowingly eaten troll, thats not to say I have not though.