Thais Help Thais prompts Suki Teenoi to temporarily close three branches
The buffet chain says some diners are using their benefits at participating restaurants, as it closes three long-running branches for renovations.
- Suki Teenoi is not participating in the government's "Thais Help Thais" spending stimulus program, which is aimed at smaller businesses.
- This has led to a decrease in customer numbers, as patrons are choosing to dine at restaurants that are part of the program.
- The company is using this period of lower foot traffic to temporarily close three branches for renovation.
- The three branches are scheduled to reopen in October 2026, after the government's stimulus program ends.
When it comes to the suki buffet restaurant most talked about in recent years, ‘Suki Teenoi’ is likely to be among the first brands Thais think of, with many calling it ‘the people’s suki’ after seeing long customer queues at almost every branch in recent years.
That success has been reflected in the business’s growth and steady branch expansion into many provinces and major cities across the country, under an affordable buffet model that reaches a large number of consumers.
However, with the Thai economy still facing pressure from slowing purchasing power, many businesses are starting to feel a greater impact, particularly restaurants, which face intense competition to attract customers.
Most recently, Suki Teenoi acknowledged that customer numbers had fallen, amid attention over whether it may have been affected by the ‘Thais Help Thais Plus’ programme, a government measure to stimulate spending that is currently attracting strong interest.
The ‘Suki Teenoi’ Facebook page posted a clarification on Monday (June 8, 2026), saying the ‘Thais Help Thais’ programme was intended to help small operators, or SMEs, and was a good and highly successful project.
However, because Suki Teenoi was not participating in the programme, some customers had instead turned to restaurants that were taking part, causing customer volumes to fall in some areas.
For this reason, the company is using the period of lower customer numbers to close three branches that have been in operation for more than six years for renovation, to improve the service experience and give the outlets a more modern look.
They are the Lam Luk Ka Khlong 2 branch, which will close for renovation from Tuesday (June 9, 2026), the Sense Pinklao branch, from Wednesday (June 17, 2026), and the Lat Phrao-Wang Hin branch, from Tuesday (June 23, 2026).
Suki Teenoi said customers would see the new look of all three branches again in October 2026, after the ‘Thais HelpsThais Plus’ programme ends.
The move reflects the challenges facing restaurant businesses at a time when consumers are becoming more cautious about spending, while government economic stimulus measures are starting to play an important role in consumers’ decisions over where to use services.
Although Suki Teenoi remains a brand with a large customer base and broad recognition, the situation is another sign that even major restaurant businesses cannot avoid the impact of economic conditions and changing consumer behaviour.
