Food courts agree to freeze prices of 10 menu items

[Lite Beer]

Food courts agree to freeze prices of 10 menu items
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Leading modern trade operators yesterday agreed with the Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department to freeze the prices of 10 Thai-style fast-food dishes at their food courts, to cooperate in the effort to ease consumers' costs during a difficult period.

The price freezes will go into effect on May 29 and remain in place for six months.

The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts.

Santichai Santawanpas, deputy director-general of the department, said the ministry had found that retail prices of many dishes had increased by around Bt5 last year compared with 2012, driven up by the rising costs of raw materials, particular meats. Cooking gas has also been going up since September 2012.

"At least consumers will have some choices now.

"If they want a cheap meal, food courts will have them on offer, starting at Bt25 per dish," Santichai said.

However, prices of the 10 selected menu items will differ between discount stores and department stores.

For instance, a serving of rice with curry (with one side dish) at discount stores such as Big C, Tesco Lotus and Tops Supermarket will cost Bt30-Bt35, but at department stores including Central and The Mall, it will be Bt35-Bt40.

The price for rice with curries (two side dishes) and pad kra-phao (pork or chicken with basil, rice and noodles) will be Bt35-Bt40 at discount stores, but Bt5 more at department stores.

Santichai said the department did not yet see a need to intervene in the market.

To help low-income consumers, it will ask enterprises to offer choices for consumers.

The department has also put in place measures to keep the prices of Thai-style dishes at some food traders at Bt25-Bt35 per serving, he said.

It has also asked for the Education Ministry's cooperation to monitor food prices at school canteens after some parents complained about rising food prices at some schools.

-- The Nation 2014-05-17

[chooka]

We went to the food court at airport plaza in Chiangmai yesterday and they have increased their prices, last week a bowl of noodles was 35 baht this week 45 baht. I guess they are getting in before the price freeze on the 29th.

[JeremyBowskill]

We went to the food court at airport plaza in Chiangmai yesterday and they have increased their prices, last week a bowl of noodles was 35 baht this week 45 baht. I guess they are getting in before the price freeze on the 29th.

First in best dressed Chooka! I usually swerve Airport plaza food court as its usually mayhem there, can't normally get a seat.

[hanno]

Freeze prices on 10 items, double them on 20 others.....

[NongKhaiKid]

We went to the food court at airport plaza in Chiangmai yesterday and they have increased their prices, last week a bowl of noodles was 35 baht this week 45 baht. I guess they are getting in before the price freeze on the 29th.

First in best dressed Chooka! I usually swerve Airport plaza food court as its usually mayhem there, can't normally get a seat.

Wardrobe malfunction Jeremy ?

[jalansanitwong]

Electricity rates are supposed to be going up this month. Water already up. Everything goes up in price in Thailand except wages.

Alot of food vendors have quit because they cant make money. they spend 1500 baht on pork ,beef, cooking oil , sauces , vegetables and daily rent.

Some days they only gross 1,200 baht .lose 300 baht for 8 hours work on the soi.

Cooking gas for medium size bottle now 380 baht! vendors cant charge more than 30 baht for a bag of food otherwise they lose customers.

hopeless situation at the moment.

gov tax on electricity bill now whopping 40 %... my bill was 1,400 baht plus three gov taxes =1,980 baht

Yingluck is ripping everyone off to cover all their scams.

a kilo of beef in thailand costs almost one days wages for many........insane country.

[retell]

Would rather see the price of meat going back to normal

[JeremyBowskill]

We went to the food court at airport plaza in Chiangmai yesterday and they have increased their prices, last week a bowl of noodles was 35 baht this week 45 baht. I guess they are getting in before the price freeze on the 29th.

First in best dressed Chooka! I usually swerve Airport plaza food court as its usually mayhem there, can't normally get a seat.

Wardrobe malfunction Jeremy ?

Bad hair day.

[uptheos]

We went to the food court at airport plaza in Chiangmai yesterday and they have increased their prices, last week a bowl of noodles was 35 baht this week 45 baht. I guess they are getting in before the price freeze on the 29th.

First in best dressed Chooka! I usually swerve Airport plaza food court as its usually mayhem there, can't normally get a seat.

I can't say I like anything in the food court near the cinemas, but I don't mind the Kao Soi sometimes in the basement (apart from the low stalls) and the very cheap salad bar that always has lots of beans and beetroot,

[jaltsc]

"The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts."

But ...they always seem to have enough money to pay 300 baht for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The line is always long and never seems to slow down. Perhaps they need to add gross amounts of sugar to all of their food items.

Edited May 17, 2014 by jaltsc

[NongKhaiKid]

We went to the food court at airport plaza in Chiangmai yesterday and they have increased their prices, last week a bowl of noodles was 35 baht this week 45 baht. I guess they are getting in before the price freeze on the 29th.

First in best dressed Chooka! I usually swerve Airport plaza food court as its usually mayhem there, can't normally get a seat.

Wardrobe malfunction Jeremy ?

Bad hair day.

Know what you mean, the wig and hair dryer don;t have an understanding

[uptheos]

"The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts."

But ...they always seem to have enough money to pay 300 baht for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The line is always long and never seems to slow down. Perhaps they need to add gross amounts of sugar to all of their food items.

They do along with msg if you don't watch them.

[WhizBang]

"The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts."

But ...they always seem to have enough money to pay 300 baht for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The line is always long and never seems to slow down. Perhaps they need to add gross amounts of sugar to all of their food items.

They do already. Have you never seen Thais ladle large amounts of sugar onto just about everything they buy?

Honestly, I have never figured that out. And here I was thinking most Thai food was healthy. LOL.

When I buy Thai food, I never add any sugar. In fact I try to avoid consuming sugar as much as possible.

[daveAustin]

Santichai Santawanpas, deputy director-general of the department, said the ministry had found that retail prices of many dishes had increased by around Bt5 last year compared with 2012, driven up by the rising costs of raw materials, particular meats. Cooking gas has also been going up since September 2012.

You can blame those t.wats 100% for that!

Eating goop off the street might be cheaper but where supermarkets are concerned today Thailand is so far behind UK on price, quality and choice that it's not funny any more.

[MuuDaeng]

"The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts."

But ...they always seem to have enough money to pay 300 baht for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The line is always long and never seems to slow down. Perhaps they need to add gross amounts of sugar to all of their food items.

And very, very many of them have enough money to pay around 50 baht per serving several times a day, and then leave at least two third of it uneaten on table, "Mai aroi!", day after day. Or to buy soft drinks or coffee containing ice 90% of it for 20...30 baht, have just a sip and leave mug on table.

[belg]

sugar and salt (and msg), the ingredients to give some taste to things that are blend, or for food that is way over the sell date

[lee b]

sugar and salt (and msg), the ingredients to give some taste to things that are blend, or for food that is way over the sell date

MSG (pom chew rot), is there anything that the Thais dont put this stuff in, i mean even though its bad for you it tastes great. Must mean the food is garbage to start with hahaha

[Benmart]

Freeze prices on 10 items, double them on 20 others.....

Please get back and post specific examples when that happens. Thanks in advance.

[Benmart]

"The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts."

But ...they always seem to have enough money to pay 300 baht for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The line is always long and never seems to slow down. Perhaps they need to add gross amounts of sugar to all of their food items.

And very, very many of them have enough money to pay around 50 baht per serving several times a day, and then leave at least two third of it uneaten on table, "Mai aroi!", day after day. Or to buy soft drinks or coffee containing ice 90% of it for 20...30 baht, have just a sip and leave mug on table.

Yes, and then there are all those people that eat all their food, drink all of their beverages, clean up after themselves and don't obsess over what others are doing!

Yes, how dare people be able to afford to buy Krispy Kreme Donuts. Don't they know others can't afford a 5 Baht food price increase?

Call in the Food Police and Disposable Income Police.

Live and Let Live

[Thai at Heart]

Why do they keep applying pointless sticking plasters?

Stuff is more expensive. S**t happens.

[bigbamboo]

"The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts."

But ...they always seem to have enough money to pay 300 baht for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The line is always long and never seems to slow down. Perhaps they need to add gross amounts of sugar to all of their food items.

I wonder if they could complain about the high prices at petrol stations too.

They're welcome to their Krispy Kreme Kholesterolnuts though.

[LivinLOS]

So you implement a rise in the min wage.. And stuff starts to cost more ?? No shit sherlock..

[Thai at Heart]

So you implement a rise in the min wage.. And stuff starts to cost more ?? No shit sherlock..

Everyone was moaning that the baht was too strong a year. Ago well here you have the increase in gas and oil for a devalued baht and it feeds through to the price of EVERYTHING.

There is little domestic fuel, but everyone is moaning that electricity or diesel went up. Well this electricity and this diesel goes directly on the bottom line cost of everything in Thailand when the currency reduces in value.

[noitom]

The Thai food vendors will see this as a good opportunity to dilute the soup and reduce the portion size. Kind of like keeping the O'Henry candy bar the same price but the bar gets smaller inside the same wrapper. The cereal box is the same size and price except for the weight in the fine print.

[ChrisY1]

"The traders responded after consumers filed many complaints to the department about high prices at their food courts."

But ...they always seem to have enough money to pay 300 baht for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The line is always long and never seems to slow down. Perhaps they need to add gross amounts of sugar to all of their food items.

They do already. Have you never seen Thais ladle large amounts of sugar onto just about everything they buy?

Honestly, I have never figured that out. And here I was thinking most Thai food was healthy. LOL.

When I buy Thai food, I never add any sugar. In fact I try to avoid consuming sugar as much as possible.

Yes....5 spoons of sugar in their tea or coffee......but they don't stir it, they don't like it too sweet!

[louse1953]

Electricity rates are supposed to be going up this month. Water already up. Everything goes up in price in Thailand except wages.

Alot of food vendors have quit because they cant make money. they spend 1500 baht on pork ,beef, cooking oil , sauces , vegetables and daily rent.

Some days they only gross 1,200 baht .lose 300 baht for 8 hours work on the soi.

Cooking gas for medium size bottle now 380 baht! vendors cant charge more than 30 baht for a bag of food otherwise they lose customers.

hopeless situation at the moment.

gov tax on electricity bill now whopping 40 %... my bill was 1,400 baht plus three gov taxes =1,980 baht

Yingluck is ripping everyone off to cover all their scams.

a kilo of beef in thailand costs almost one days wages for many........insane country.

Hey Rip,she's gone,so reset that alarm clock.This is normal govt.procedure in any country.Its up to the voters to wake up.But then new govt will still have to repay debt.Thais do not do business plans,just open a shop and hope for the best,just because somebody else did it.

[marko kok prong]

sugar and salt (and msg), the ingredients to give some taste to things that are blend, or for food that is way over the sell date

I sometimes also think this is why they use so much chilli,it masks the flavour of poor meat.some of the issan food is so hot,it's like putting molten lava in your mouth,i have been to many countries where they have hot food,but the only thing close to issan food is Padang food in Indonesia.

[Loles]

10 menu items price will be frozen, but they will use cheaper raw material, fewer meat and more vegs, and the portion will be less. This is OK cause there is not new under the sun. And the rice which used by food courts (every-where) recently is full under quality, old and not more than 10 B / Kg. This reason why I try to avoid the food courts.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Loles

[retell]

Or with the price they will sell the food also frozen

[stockholm1995]

This will not affect the landlords "Big C, Tesco Lotus and Tops Supermarket". They will get their 30% cut BUT the stallowners will loose money.