Hard Times A Coming ?

[bambob]

MAKING ENDS MEET: Fuel costs burn street traders

Published on July 03, 2005

By Theeranuch Pusaksrikit, Pathonkanok Barnes

The Nation

Those eking out a living on Bangkok's roads face diminishing returns,

with little relief in sight

Rising oil prices have made life harder not only for wage-earners but

also for Bangkok's legions of self-employed food-vendors, motorcycle

taxis and van-drivers.

With petrol and diesel prices up nearly 50 per cent over the past year,

Sommai Nualramsri, who sells noodles from a roadside stall on

Bangkok's Lat Phrao Road, said that fewer people were now eating out.

"There are no customers after 11pm. It's deadly quiet by then,"

he said. "I used to sell around 150 bowls a night from the evening to

1am. Now it's only about 100 bowls."

At the same time, Sommai's outlay for raw materials has risen from

Bt1,200 a day to between Bt1,500 and Bt1,600, in addition to a monthly

rent and utilities bill of Bt3,000.

But a bowl of noodles still sells for Bt20, just as it has for several

years.

"I haven't raised the price yet," Sommai said. "My main

customers are factory girls, so I'm afraid if I increase the price

I'll sell less."

Sommai, 37, also laments the days of brisk business a couple of years

ago when demand was so good that his stall would stay open until early

morning.

For van-driver Boonma Meejaichuern, who plies a shuttle service from

Bang Na-Trat Road to Central Lat Phrao, the skyrocketing fuel price

means a hefty rise in his daily operating cost.

"Eight years ago I charged Bt20 per passenger for the same ride, when

a litre of diesel was just Bt9," he said. "The fare hasn't risen,

but the diesel price is nearly Bt22 a litre."

Boonma makes a net income of around Bt600 to Bt700 a day, after

deducting Bt700 for diesel and another Bt240 for toll charges. In

addition he has to pay Bt4,000 a month to join a van queue.

He usually makes six or seven trips from Bang Na to Lat Phrao each day,

starting at 7am and running until 9pm, but passengers are usually few

in the afternoon, so he takes a nap.

As well as expensive diesel, Boonma faces fierce competition from

newcomers, as van transport has become popular among Bangkok commuters,

particularly those who live in the suburbs.

Motorcycle taxis are another favourite form of city transport. Pipat

Arsaipathumma, 59, who works on Bangkok's Suthisan Road, said his

petrol costs had risen from Bt45 to Bt70 a day following price hikes

over the past year.

What's worse, the number of passengers has fallen because more and

more motorcycle taxis are taking to the city's sois, quite apart from

competing modes of transport.

He expects the continuing rainy season will also be bad for business.

The shrinking income has meant Pipat's family has found it tough to

survive economically.

"While middle- or upper-income groups can afford to stock up on basic

necessities [in anticipation of pending price hikes], we usually live

day to day and have to pay more for those products when their prices go

up. It's a double disadvantage," he said.

Pipat has been struggling for years to feed his family and send four

children to school. At present a motorcycle taxi earns around Bt500 to

Bt600 a day in busy areas. Those in less crowded places make between

Bt300 and Bt400 a day.

Sunan Khongkaew, 46, another Bangkok motorbike taxi-rider, said his job

was quite risky due to the city's criss-crossing sois, though he

still loved it.

"This job is independent." he said. "I can stop any time I like,

but if I want to make more money I have to work longer hours, and then

I've got to be careful to avoid accidents."

Sunan works in the Charan Sanitwong 35 area, where he pays a Bt30 daily

fee. The area, which has as many as 300 motorbike taxis, is always busy

because it leads to the outer ring road, Taling Chan, Bang Khae, and

Putthamonthom Sai 5.

"The queues are long every morning and evening as it is a convenient

route to get home for many people. There are many housing estates

around here. For a short trip of a couple of kilometres I charge Bt6,

while the charge can be as much as Bt100 for a long ride across to the

other side of town," he said.

Despite the hefty price of fuel, Sunan believes the current job is

still better than the job he quit eight years ago, driving a heavy

truck.

"I've got a big family to look after," he said. "The old job

earned just Bt120 a day. I can earn at least Bt500 if I work from dawn

till dusk. The petrol now costs me Bt120 a day.

"So far so good," he added. "I've just bought a new motorcycle

on an Easy Buy credit card."

For Sawai Kongsanong and his wife Suwannee, there are no plans to

increase the price of food at their food shop in the Charan Sanitwong

area yet, despite the rising cost of raw materials.

"We've tried to be more economical," Suwannee explained.

"Nothing is wasted here. But if the situation gets worse, we might be

forced to reduce portions."

To make a daily profit of Bt1,000, the couple has to get up at 4am for

fresh raw materials at a nearby market.

Sawai, who used to be a doorman in a Bangkok hotel, said the food shop

had been doing well since an underwear factory, a taxi garage and some

home offices opened in the area.

"We have at least 50 clients a day. A good location is very important

in the food business," Suwannee added.

---

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com

[Braccobaldo]

...oil is set for crash....

[Nam Kao]

Chart says 70 before 40

[The Dude]

The good news for these people is that when they can find a farang customer, they can rip him off badly. I would take the oil price chart and flush it down the toilet. charts are useless

[Nam Kao]

those silly Charts retired me young

[billd766]

The good news for these people is that when they can find a farang customer, they can rip him off badly. I would take the oil price chart and flush it down the toilet. charts are useless

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most of the times I use a motorcycle taxi around the Sukhumvit area and I pay the same price as last year and I don't think I get ripped off at all. It saves me time and money though I generally use a taxi when I go off the route. The BTS is good but first I have to get there and usually where I want to go ends up in between stations.

I must be lucky as well as good looking.

On the other hand I hear some terrible reports of taxi drivers ripping off foreigners from the UK airports.

Edited July 4, 2005 by billd766