As concerns grow about the soaring cost of living following price rises for cooking gas, electricity and expressway tolls, some restaurants and market vendors are managing to keep food prices unchanged in a bid to keep their customers amid anaemic domestic consumption.
A man pays for his dinner at a market near Zeer Rangsit shopping mall north of Bangkok yesterday. THITI WANNAMONTHA
Voranuch Kanlong, 57, a Thong Fah (Blue Flag) restaurant owner at Bang Khun Phrom intersection in Bangkok, said she has not raised prices for 10 years as she wants to maintain her customer base and the restaurant still generates sufficient profits.
Bank of Thailand officials, security guards, and construction workers are her main customers.
Despite the cost of raw materials rising sharply in recent years, Mrs Voranuch said the cost is manageable because her family runs the restaurant without hiring any workers.
Labour costs are expensive and problems can occur when workers ask for early payment, she said.
However, Mrs Voranuch says she may have to raise prices in the foreseeable future after shouldering the hike in prices of cooking gas and electricity.
Thong Fah restaurants participate in a cheap food scheme run by the government. They usually offer the same dishes: a plate of rice and one topping for 25-30 baht or rice and two toppings for 30-35 baht.
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has risen by 50 satang per kilogramme to 18.63 baht, the fuel tariff by 7.08 satang per unit to 54 satang, and the toll rate by 5 baht to 50 baht.
People at the low end of the income scale are already struggling to escape the debt trap.
Kriangsak Yuyong, 50, a restaurant owner on Wisut Kasat Road, said he is keeping food prices steady as the cost of raw materials has not increased that much.
He raised prices earlier this year after living costs soared.
Mr Kriangsak said he expects the cost of living to swell in accordance with the hike of prices for electricity, cooking gas and expressway tolls, but he maintains an optimistic outlook on the growth of his business.
Lapatsarada Arthit, 43, a fruit and vegetable vendor at Thewet Market, said the prices of her commodities have gone up and down in the past few months depending on market supply.
Rambutans cost 30 baht per kg, down from 40 baht in the past, she said.
Mrs Lapatsarada said food and vegetable prices might increase due to the hike in petroleum prices causing vendors to shoulder more logistics costs.
Janporn Maneewong, owner of Krua Ton Palm restaurant in Nonthaburi, said her outlet is still maintaining its prices despite the hike in the price of cooking gas.
"The rise in cooking gas is marginal," she said. "Any food price increase will be based on other factors including raw materials, power, tap water and wages."
Kittipan Luanthong, owner of a noodle outlet in the same area, said he has sold dishes at 30-45 baht for two years and sees no need to raise prices as the cooking gas price remains manageable.
"We believe the outlet will be able to remain afloat and profitable to a certain degree if we can sell 70-80 dishes a day," he said. "But in this case you have to do all chores yourself without hiring any employees."
Thanavath Phonvichai, vice-president for research at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said it is still too early for food vendors to raise prices.
Consumption is relatively weak because of the economic slowdown, while the market now belongs to buyers and any price increase may lead sellers to lose customers, he said.