Hua Hin police raid restaurants for overcharging

[buksida]

Police in the famous Hua-Hin beach area of Prachuap Khiri Khan province have recommended locals and tourists to file complaints against restaurants who have overcharged them.

Facebook users have shared photos online regarding a case where a group of customers were forced to pay up to 3,820 baht for ordering only nine menu items from one particular beach restaurant in Hua-Hin.

Some of these dishes such as the Thai papaya salad or “Som Tam” and grilled squid were priced at around 300 baht and 500 baht respectively, which were more than twice the prices of what most restaurants in Thailand would offer.

Investigations reveal that there have been 22 restaurants in the Hua-Hin beach area that were allegedly guilty of charging exorbitant prices from their customers. However, the names of those restaurants have not been disclosed to the public.

At this point, police are now working with related agencies such as the Hua-Hin Municipality and the Consumer Protection Bureau to ensure that consumers are being treated fairly.

Source: PRD

[Henry 14th]

For all the moans and complaints about the tightening measures across many areas such as immigration to tuk tuks and now to overpricing, I personally believe that the place is long overdue a good clean up that will only make Thailand a better place to be.

Keep up the good work I'd say.

[STEVE G]

For all the moans and complaints about the tightening measures across many areas such as immigration to tuk tuks and now to overpricing, I personally believe that the place is long overdue a good clean up that will only make Thailand a better place to be.

Keep up the good work I'd say.

Yes, as long as they don't clean it up so much that the only place you can get a meal near the beach is in a five-star hotel where a meal is going to cost you thousands of baht anyway.

[Pleng]

Some of these dishes such as the Thai papaya salad or “Som Tam” and grilled squid were priced at around 300 baht and 500 baht respectively, which were more than twice the prices of what most restaurants in Thailand would offer.

I'm confused; were the items listed on the menu at that price? If so I don't see what grounds there are for complaints. If you see a menu with silly prices, go somewhere else.

On the other hand, I guess it's fairly common place for Thais to order without even seeing the menu, in which case I can see why there might be issues.

[crazy88]

Have to agree with Pleng

Read the menu. If I go to the Hilton I pay 240++ for a beer I can get for 80 elsewhere. 300 for som tam is a bit of a pisstake however.

Crazy 88

[europtimiste]

Most Thais don't check the prices, because in a Thai owned restaurant they are sure that the price will be standart with a small difference of 10 to 20 Baht. Unfortunately Hua Hin is becoming the most expensive city in Thailand. A crackdown is welcome.

[Lung Per]

I welcome the crackdown on beachside restaurants. Most of them are tourist traps, Thai week-enders and farangs alike. As far as I know they don`t have a lease on the property. They are nothing short of touts who have maintained their presence over time through bribes and corruption.
There have been numerous attempts before to reclaim these areas, but through the brown envelope system nothing has happened until now.
I sincerely hope the area will be cleaned up this time. New restaurants may pop up, but in an orderly and regulated fashion.

[oakdale160]

Beach front?? I know we can't name names, but does mean the piers??

[Pleng]

Beach front?? I know we can't name names, but does mean the piers??

I don't think so... I think it means the places on the front of the beach

[europtimiste]

oakdale and pleng, what a hpocrisy, cannot name the restaurant and where it is ??? The picture of this restaurant has been published on Baan Muang and Talay Hua Hin. Even I don't know the name the location is very clear and mantioned in Thai. Just look at the big stones in the sea.........

[Pleng]

What? What have I got to do with not naming 'the' restaurant? I have no idea what restaurant you're talking about, and the article posted by buksida talks in the plural

[buksida]

The Hua-Hin Municipality is launching a ‘beach-cleaning’ campaign after tourists have filed petitions saying some restaurants were ripping them off with unexpected food prices.

Recently, there has been another case where a 22-year-old Thai tourist from Nonthaburi province and her family filed a complaint to the Hua-Hin Provincial Police about one particular beach restaurant that had been charging exorbitant prices for food. The restaurant was only referred to as “Restaurant No. 12.”

According to the woman, her family had to pay up to 7,480 baht for the food ordered. She also said that food prices listed on the restaurant menu were different from the prices that they had to pay. However, the restaurant owner defended that the costs of raw materials involved have been high lately.

Police Major General Trithanet Sunthornsuk, the superintendent of the Prachuap Khiri Khan police, concluded that the case is relevant to consumer fraud. He also said there has been evidence showing the food prices were intentionally manipulated.

Today, the authorities in Hua-Hin have deployed a group of soldiers to conduct ‘beach-cleaning efforts’ to reorganize the beach area. 66 business operators and restaurant owners would also have their shops and buildings dismantled and would be completely evicted from the beach area.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/new ... 8130010003

[buksida]

The BK Post have now picked up on the story with photos and menu snippets ...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... beachfront

[kendo]

7,480 Baht that's some feed.

Kendo.

[buksida]

Hua Hin officials provide lowered food cost list to vendors
Hua Hin municipality, Prachuab Khiri Khhan province has distributed a list of acceptable food prices to food shop owners after tourists filed petitions saying some restaurants were overcharging them with unreasonably high food prices.

Jirawat Phramanee, deputy mayor of Hua Hin municipality and himself the tourist police chief, has met food vendors near the beach to give them the authorised controlled-pricing list. The price is effective immediately.

Meanhile Hua Hin is the beach currently targeted in the junta' s beach clean-up program to return beaches to a more natural state. Hua Hin's beach has long been encroached on by a number of vendors and resort owners who have illegally built their own facilities right on the beach. Many business operators and restaurant owners will have their businesses and buildings dismantled and may be completely evicted from the beach area.

Tourists are pleased that authorities are addressing the issue and that affordable price will return to the area.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/new ... 8160010009