A bottle of mineral water in the airside Departure halls at either of the two airports comes with a minimum price tag of THB30 and is often as high as THB50. In 7-Eleven convenience stores in Bangkok the same bottles of water are between THB5 and THB10. Even in the public zones of Suvarnabhumi a bottle of water is only a couple of baht more than this.
Although the complaints mostly focus on water, Thai investigative reporters carried out their own surveys and found all meals and beverages were dearer than if bought on the street. A meal from a fast-food outlet costs THB250 upwards as opposed to around THB150 in central Bangkok while cups of coffee were typically THB20 more expensive.
A spokesperson said PM Prayut Chan-o-cha had instructed agencies with jurisdiction over food and beverage vendors at the airports to find out why prices were so much dearer than they should be. 12GO ASIA reports the Airports of Thailand authority has already asked vendors to ensure they sell one cheap meal and one low-cost bottled water option.
Thai PM orders probe into sky high drink prices at Bangkok airports
News in Asia
Thailand’s prime-minister has ordered an investigation into alleged price gouging on food and drinks sold at Bangkok’s two airports. The probe comes as a result of a raft of complaints posted on social media websites about the high costs of drinks at Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang Airport.