A lunch of papaya salad and seafood sounded like a fine complement to a relaxing day on Hua Hin beach to Ladda Chumchim and her family group of 11. Then they got the bill: 7,480 baht.
Jirawat Phramanee, deputy mayor of Hua Hin municipality, meets food shop owners on Tuesday. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyeam)
The total charged by one of the many food stalls in Hua Hin certainly was more than Ladda expected. The bill included charges of 250 baht for a plate of som tam, when the posted menu said the regular salad with shrimp cost 200 baht. And the platter of seafood was nothing special: just a half-dozen mussels, cockles, two prawns and a squid. The quantity served wasn't nearly worth 900 baht, she said.
The bill shows a total price of 7,480 baht for a group of 11 people eating at a food shop on Hua Hin beach. (Image from Sanook.com)
Ladda paid the bill, but she wasn't done: She went to the police and plans to take her beef to the National Council for Peace and Order which, as it turns out, already had its eye on Hua Hin as the next target for its beach-resort cleanup campaign.
The price of food in Hua Hin is just the sorest of many sore spots tourists and authorities have in the popular beach town. But unlike in Phuket and Pattaya, where the NCPO sent uniformed soldiers to clean up the beach and back up police, Hua Hin officials are handling things themselves.
The province has planned a so-called "D-Day" where authorities will clean up the beach, remove illegal structures, and, to the delight of many tourists, regulate the service and price of food on the beach.
Mayor Nopporn Wuthikul said officials have surveyed food prices at beach stands and agree that some are charging too much. He said stall owners have been asked to reduce prices voluntarily, but the province ultimately will meet with vendors to set standardised prices and post clear menus.
Mr Nopporn also said authorities plan to reorganise the beach and remove stalls from public land. Officials said several already have agreed to move voluntarily.
Bussaba Phramtoh, owner of the stand where Ms. Ladda's group ate, defended her prices, claiming 13, not 11, people ordered 17 seafood dishes between 11am and 5pm. It was only when the bill was presented did anyone complain about menu prices.
Ms Bussaba said she offered the group a 1,000-baht discount to settle the dispute, but then discovered Ladda took her grievance to the police.
Other vendors have had their price disputes go viral online.
On Monday, the Facebook page for Phetchaburi and Prachuap's community TV news outlet published a 3,820-baht bill from a Hua Hin food stall. Papaya salad was sold for 150 baht with ordinary glass noodle and minced pork soup at 250 baht a serving. The average price of each dish was more than 150 baht.
Another bill shows price of 3,820 baht.
Netizens commented that the food was overpriced, with prices similar to those charged by high-end restaurants. They urged authorities to investigate and better regulate food stalls on the beach.
Vendors, however, are hitting back. A group representing food shops on Hua Hin beach on Wednesday submitted a letter to NCPO chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, asking him to force Prachuap Khiri Khan governor Weera Sriwattantrakul to fairly reorganise the more than 160 shops on the beach.
Group leader Jongkolnee Ritthirong said some vendors had been operating on the beach for more than 30 years and have complied with regulations, contrary to the governor's claims the vendors are operating outside legal boundaries. They complained that regulation and removal of their stalls would impact their livelihoods.
As for food prices, Ms Jongkulnee said all shops had posted menus with clear prices. She claimed 150 baht for som tam with crab was the normal for tourist spots like Pattaya and Phuket. She added that vendors had suggested the province set a median price for food, but their suggestion had been ignored.
Finally, Ms Jongkulnee reasoned, the province was unfairly coming down on beach vendors while ignoring restaurants and resorts that have constructed buildings on public land near the sea. She said the NCPO should ensure the same standards apply to all businesses in Hua Hin.