Silom-Surawong meal prices over 14 years under five governments

From a meal costing 31 baht a dish 14 years ago, finding a meal at the same price is now almost impossible.

Prices for made-to-order dishes and ordinary rice-and-curry meals have risen to at least 60-70 baht a plate, especially in inner-city areas.

Even in shopping centres or airports, where businesses have to shoulder higher rents, labour costs and raw material costs, everyday dishes have become very expensive, with some reaching more than 100 baht.

The Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA) has continuously surveyed food prices in the “Silom-Surawong” area, one of Thailand’s key business centres, or CBD areas, since 2012.

The assumption is that food prices in this area are likely to be standard prices because it is in the city centre, while other areas should be cheaper, except for tourist areas visited from time to time.

The Silom area survey is therefore regarded as an important representative indicator for Bangkok and Thailand overall.

The survey found that average food prices rose from 31 baht per dish in 2012 to 65.3 baht per dish in 2026, an increase of more than 110% over 14 years.

On average, food prices increased by 5.5% a year, higher than the official inflation rate in many periods.

This reflects the steadily rising cost of living for urban residents, particularly office workers whose daily lives are centred on Bangkok’s central business districts.

The year-by-year details of the food price survey from 2012 to 2026 are as follows:

• May 2012: average price 31 baht per dish
• May 2013: average price 31.8 baht per dish
• May 2014: average price 34.3 baht per dish
• May 2015: average price 38.4 baht per dish
• May 2016: average price 41.7 baht per dish
• May 2017: average price 45.7 baht per dish
• May 2018: average price 48.1 baht per dish
• May 2019: average price 50.2 baht per dish
• May 2020: average price 51.4 baht per dish
• June 2021 (survey postponed during Covid): average price 53.5 baht per dish
• May 2022: average price 57 baht per dish
• May 2024: average price 62.8 baht per dish
• June 2025: average price 64 baht per dish
• May 2026: average price 65.3 baht per dish

However, the point to watch is not only that food prices are still rising, but that the rate of increase has begun to slow over the past two to three years, even though operators continue to face higher costs for raw materials, electricity, labour and rents.

This phenomenon reflects another side of the economy: consumer purchasing power has not fully recovered, leaving operators unable to raise prices as much as in the past.

The higher the prices rise, the greater the risk that consumers will cut spending or switch to cheaper shops.

Food price comparison by the government

Looking back at changes in food prices under each government, from the Yingluck Shinawatra government, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Srettha Thavisin and Paetongtarn Shinawatra governments through to the current government, the figures on food price signs reflect not only higher living costs but also the state of the economy and Thai consumers’ purchasing power in each period.

Under the Yingluck government, food prices rose by 5.2% a year.

Under the government of General Prayut Chan-o-cha, after the coup, for over nine years (May 2014-2023), food prices rose by 77%, or 6.6% a year, higher than the official inflation figure.

This shows that official efforts to solve economic problems were not as effective as they should have been.

Under the Srettha government, food prices rose by 3.3%.

Under the Paetongtarn government, they increased by 2.0% over the past year.

This may be because the economy appears to be in a state of deflation, limiting the scope for goods prices to rise.

If prices rose sharply, consumers might not have the ability to buy.

Similarly, under the Anutin government, food prices over the past year also increased by only 2.0%.

Summary of food price changes in Silom, Surawong and Sathon, 2012-2026

• Food price per dish, May 2012: about 31 baht
• Food price per dish, May 2026: about 65.3 baht
• Increase from 2012 to 2026: about 110.5%
• Food price increase in the latest year (2025-2026): 2.0%
• Food prices under the Yingluck government (2012-2014): up 5.2% a year
• Food prices under the Prayut government (2014-2023): up 6.6% a year
• Food prices under the Srettha government (2014-2024): up 3.3% a year
• Food prices under the Paetongtarn government (2024-2025): up 2.0% a year
• Food prices under the Anutin government (2025-2026): up 2.0% a year

AREA said some vendors were unable to raise food prices because buyers did not have sufficient purchasing power, even though ingredients used in cooking had become more expensive.

Shops still trying to hold food prices steady, or not raise prices, have noticeably longer queues of customers.

Interviews with vendors found that the most clearly influential factor was “rent” for retail space used to sell food.

If rents rise sharply, food prices increase substantially.

In some places, about 18 square metres of space is rented for as much as 60,000 baht a month, or 3,333 baht per square metre.

Because rents for sales space are expensive, there are now “boxed meal” shops, where buyers take food away to eat elsewhere, allowing operators to save substantially on rent.

This is seen as a significant adjustment.

At various food courts, many shops have also disappeared, with some having closed since the Covid period one to two years earlier, in 2020-2021.

However, most of the shops that closed did so only in 2021-2022.

In the latest survey, in May 2026, shop activity had already picked up.