Airport gouging: Bangkok versus Hong Kong
I have been reading with interest the comments about over-charging for food at Thai airports. Years ago I stopped buying anything at airports, including duty-free. However, judging what is a standard price is difficult.
Last week at the Hong Kong airport a soft drink cost the equivalent of Bt70 at a fast-food kiosk and Bt150 at a sit-down restaurant. In Bangkok it was Bt54 and Bt80. So it looks like a bargain here. However, if you use supermarket prices as the base, the Bangkok price is Bt15, while in Hong Kong it is Bt35. Thus our mark-up is 350 per cent, compared to 100 per cent in Hong Kong.
In reality, blame for high airport prices should rest with the ridiculous rents the restaurant owners have to pay here. How do they survive?
Daniel Windsor
Sometimes it pays to listen to your guests
Vint Chavala is now complaining that the junta has had enough time to restore law and order and should now be restoring democracy. But, as I have been saying all along, once you lose your freedom, there is no guarantee you’ll get it back.
I have also said from the start that, if the military were concerned about law and order, all it had to do was declare martial law without overthrowing the government.
Yet Vint responded to my perfectly sensible arguments by insulting me, calling me a “bad guest” and practically telling me to leave Thailand.
I don’t deny that Vint is a smart man who cares about his country. But I’m pretty smart too – enough to have an opinion on what is best for Thailand.
You see, Vint, I live here too.
Eric Bahrt
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