Thai Restaurant Industry Faces Crisis as Purchases Plummet by 40%

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

Perfect example of the Tourist Rip Off.

here's a tourist rip off for you.

600 Baht for 2 drinks (non alcoholic, juice and smoothie), fries, and spring rolls. 

but ... in a prime location AND a live band!

I was trying to impress a girl and didn't even bother looking at the prices ... but once you're in there, you look stupid if you complain about the prices. thank God she didn't order a full meal. would have set me back 2000 baht easily!

moral of the story: never try to impress a girl AND everyone gets ripped off sooner or later

 

[black tabby12345]

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

once you're in there, you look stupid if you complain about the prices.

 

 

Not my issue.

As I don’t go to these places out of vanity, in the first place.

As simple as that...

[ronnie50]

Even the pricier places like the most well-known chain of Japanese restaurants is getting weird. Along with my food, I usually ordered an orange juice, already overpriced at 95 baht (price hasn't changed), and is always filled more with ice than orange juice. Anyway, that's not uncommon to have more ice than drink in many places, so for the last year I'd order the orange juice with no ice, and it would arrive in a half-sized glass at same price of 95 baht. No problem. However, this week, when I went to the same branch and ordered the same thing and got the half-sized glass with no ice, I got a surprise. When the bill came, I was charged MORE because I didn't want the ice. Same small glass - bill said "orange juice - no ice -100 baht" Okay, so it's only 5 baht more. But it's the principle - why would I pay more for the same amount of OJ but no ice?  So I argued with the manager and she changed it back to 95 baht. She was really unhappy and complained to her staff about me. Whatever. TIT. I remember when I first moved to Thailand, a box of 12 Heineken at the supermarket was actually more expensive than buying 12 bottles individually. When I asked why, I was told it was because I was getting a box too.. 

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

Even the pricier places like the most well-known chain of Japanese restaurants is getting weird. Along with my food, I usually ordered an orange juice, already overpriced at 95 baht (price hasn't changed), and is always filled more with ice than orange juice. Anyway, that's not uncommon to have more ice than drink in many places, so for the last year I'd order the orange juice with no ice, and it would arrive in a half-sized glass at same price of 95 baht. No problem. However, this week, when I went to the same branch and ordered the same thing and got the half-sized glass with no ice, I got a surprise. When the bill came, I was charged MORE because I didn't want the ice. Same small glass - bill said "orange juice - no ice -100 baht" Okay, so it's only 5 baht more. But it's the principle - why would I pay more for the same amount of OJ but no ice?  So I argued with the manager and she changed it back to 95 baht. She was really unhappy and complained to her staff about me. Whatever. TIT. I remember when I first moved to Thailand, a box of 12 Heineken at the supermarket was actually more expensive than buying 12 bottles individually. When I asked why, I was told it was because I was getting a box too.. 

That's the same as McDonald's, Burger king etc, the price of the cola is based on it having loads of ice

[johng]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

, a box of 12 Heineken at the supermarket was actually more expensive than buying 12 bottles individually. When I asked why, I was told it was because I was getting a box too.

Yes if you put all the bottles back in the box when empty....you get even a few more baht back when the recycling team come to collect them

Last I recall was 12 baht per box.

[HOOD Robin]

After the covid in many tourist restos (also others) prices went to the ceiling...
Typical Thai... what they lost in a few years they want to earn back in a few weeks...

[kiwikeith]

On 3/29/2025 at 12:24 PM, kiwikeith said:

Not so, the delivery service takes big commission and gives discount coupons they can deliver somtum for 30 Bhat with a coupon they are supplying food from 7/11 now and people are turning their car park spaces into illegal kitchens, the.Bike companies don't care who they buy from they take over 30%commission 

If you love food poisoning and 50 bhat food you know where to go.

[BritManToo]

17 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

That's the same as McDonald's, Burger king etc, the price of the cola is based on it having loads of ice

Bu McD/BK/KFC are all self service for drinks (and free refills), so you can choose not to put in ice.

[scubascuba3]

31 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Bu McD/BK/KFC are all self service for drinks (and free refills), so you can choose not to put in ice.

ah ok, I haven't bought a drink there for years, just burgers usually 

[superal]

On 3/27/2025 at 1:54 PM, save the frogs said:

did you ever run a restaurant?

ever heard of .... overhead expenses? 

But not too many expenses for street vendors . Amazes me when they park their rig outside of a restaurant to sell their food . It seems to me that less wealthy Thais get by on eating noodles or rice alone .

Very high rents in popular areas are the main cause of closures , IMO . A 500% mark up on say a small beer that costs 30 baht to the business to buy but retails in some tourist spots for 150 baht is astonishing but even a hike like that cannot always save a business in touristy areas .

[save the frogs]

12 hours ago, superal said:

But not too many expenses for street vendors . Amazes me when they park their rig outside of a restaurant to sell their food . It seems to me that less wealthy Thais get by on eating noodles or rice alone .

Very high rents in popular areas are the main cause of closures , IMO . A 500% mark up on say a small beer that costs 30 baht to the business to buy but retails in some tourist spots for 150 baht is astonishing but even a hike like that cannot always save a business in touristy areas .

 

Street vendors are not even allowed where I come from. It's to protect restaurants for sure. Bu then again, there isn't as much disparity and lower class people who can't afford restaurants. 

 

I don't go to restaurants very often. Now people think they should be able to afford eating out every day. I only eat out once in a while and I don't lose sleep over the prices. 

 

The food stalls are mostly a waste of money. Or maybe OK for an ocassional indulgence. A 50 baht pad thai doesn't do it for me. There's probably less than 10 grams of protein in there. I can't survive on that and would rather grab stuff from the supermarket. 

 

I popped into a bar. One bar girl said she used to work as a cook in restaurant in Bangkok, but it closed down after Covid. So she ended up in the bar to survive.

 

Everybody's Got a Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[save the frogs]

On 3/29/2025 at 6:32 AM, ronnie50 said:

Even the pricier places like the most well-known chain of Japanese restaurants is getting weird. Along with my food, I usually ordered an orange juice, already overpriced at 95 baht (price hasn't changed), and is always filled more with ice than orange juice.

Restaurants hate me because I rarely order drinks. And drinks are probably their biggest profit margins and no effort required.

 

I hydrate at home. And just order the food there. 

 

[Kaopad999]

On 3/28/2025 at 8:52 AM, Kaopad999 said:

30- 40 THB 

I'm not sure why some morons left a  funny or confusing emoji to my original comment.. If you actually bother to step out the tourist areas, you'll realize that these are the standard prices  at local Thai markets.  I literally went to my local market 2 days ago and paid 40 THB for a huge serving of Mango Sticky rice. Other vendors were selling smnaller portions 30 THB 

[superal]

18 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

I'm not sure why some morons left a  funny or confusing emoji to my original comment.. If you actually bother to step out the tourist areas, you'll realize that these are the standard prices  at local Thai markets.  I literally went to my local market 2 days ago and paid 40 THB for a huge serving of Mango Sticky rice. Other vendors were selling smnaller portions 30 THB 

Totally agree . 

                         People who post anonymous emojis have little intelligence , otherwise they would leave their reasoning . 

Constructive criticism is fine but going incognito is gutless .

[ChaiyaTH]

On 3/28/2025 at 8:21 AM, Kasset Tak said:

When I moved here 9 years ago the city had 2 7-11, now there are 9 and 1 more coming. At the same time there were 12 coffee shops, now there are over 40. For restaurants I'm not sure, but there were 3 moo krata, now there are 10, and for westerner food there were 1 steakhouse and 1 pizza place... now there are 5 places identifying as steakhouse and 8 places selling pizza (2 selling Italian style pizza).  Might it just be that there are TOO MANY RESTAURANTS?!

That's exactly the real and only issue + pricing as a consequence, everything else is horse crap from owners their mouths. There is no issue with increased costs that much on food at all, neither on rent or utilities, let alone with wages. Owners use this now as an excuse, as indeed, that now became the last margin to be able and tweak AFTER starting way too many of the same businesses everywhere. This is a undeniable fact all over Thailand. 

 

Just look at Chiang Mai for example, all used to be 80% focused around the old city quarter and up to the river. Now you have over 5-6 main areas far from each other. Then look at tourist figures, there is dozens of millions tourists more than in the old days. So even people went out less often, this should never be the issue.

The real issue is that prices are way too high, and restaurants say that they can't lower the prices is only due to the fact that there is too many restaurants. I mean explain to me why I can get for the same price a tenderloin in Australia with way higher rent, way higher taxes, wages and everything. If you want to tell me that is only because of the higher tenderloin cost, just clueless. I know what they cost wholesale.

It is the volume of sales that is the issue, and that is a result of being over priced. Restaurants used to have constantly 5-10 people from opening to kitche close, if not a full house around the busiest hour(s), by default. That is what restaurants are supposed to do.

In Thailand it like became the normalized standard that you run a business where you get a handful of customers, and that that is needing to make your money. Yeah indeed, then you can only keep increasing prices and if you then look at statistics, the tweaking and margins would be tight.

 

It's the exact same with freelance girls and alcohol in bars too. So how did the freelance girl get higher costs then? And last but not least, why are restaurants that do sell cheap + always full, make money, are able do to it the right way?

 

Meanwhile somewhere on an island: I still get my beers for 60 baht, I still get large Thai portion meals for 50 baht and so on and on.

 

If you sell Thai food for 150 per meal and then they get only 10 customers, they make 1200 baht. The cheap place gets customers all day making just 30 baht per meal, still will walk home with 2000-3000 baht. So with other words; anyone can sell cheaper if they had more customers.

 

If I tell a restaurant i can get a group of 10-20 people and want 5-10% discount it is also possible.

[ChaiyaTH]

On 3/28/2025 at 11:03 AM, Dan O said:

McDonald's makes most of its money from Franchise Fees and Real Estate rentals of stores. They sell some direct but the bulk of sales comes from Franchises not owned stores. Franchises pay the cost of operation not MacD's so it more impacting on the Franchisees than MacD

Please cut the cliche BS already, the fact they make more from real estate has zero to do with the fact that mc donald restaurants as restaurants are very profitable. How would you otherwise expect the franchise owners to be still paying the rent all those decades.

[Kaopad999]

2 hours ago, superal said:

Totally agree . 

                         People who post anonymous emojis have little intelligence , otherwise they would leave their reasoning . 

Constructive criticism is fine but going incognito is gutless .

They're either ignorant or likely stuck in their bubble—whether it's Pattaya, Phuket, or Sukhumvit Road's Nana area.

[Dan O]

2 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Please cut the cliche BS already, the fact they make more from real estate has zero to do with the fact that mc donald restaurants as restaurants are very profitable. How would you otherwise expect the franchise owners to be still paying the rent all those decades.

First off there's no cliche bs here other than the reply you wrote. You obviously don't know anything about the industry.

 

What I wrote is accurate and if you did some research you would see that. I never said they weren't profitable I said they make most if the revenue from rentals and franchise fees so learn to read. 

[geisha]

On 3/27/2025 at 4:54 PM, Cameroni said:

MacDonalds has actually increased prices way beyond inflation. Their prices have increased by 100% over the last decade.

 

So considerably more than inflation.

 

in 2014 fries were about 1.48 USD according to location. Now 3.79 for medium fries at MacDonalds.

I was in  the restaurant business for 40 years. What we are seeing today, since Covid, is less people going to a restaurant. I don’t mean fast food/ cheap menu burgers. 
Transport and production have seen prices soaring. Lack of staff, etc are driving prices up, either that or close down. The people still eating out often today, are not buying wine or even beer. No  appetizers, ordering a main meal and a bottle of water. And forget the dessert.  So, still going out but limit the cost. Remember , drinks and desserts are where a restaurant earns its profit, not from meat or fish.