Pattaya grillers squeal over high pork prices

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Miss Kaewjai Onlamoon, a grilled pork vendor in Pattaya, said rising pork prices affect her business.

Grilled-pork food carts and restaurants are folding up shop amid high prices and short supplies. And those still open have cut portion sizes.

Pork prices have been rising steadily, with many claiming that African Swine Flu, one case of which was found in Nakhon Pathom this week, has been running through pig farms nationally for weeks.



While the government has refused to admit that ASF is to blame for the weeks of rising prices and short supplies, little else explains why pig herds have been culled to the point where prices are now subject to government price controls.

Kaewjai Onlamoon, a grilled-pork vendor in Pattaya City, said she hasn’t raised prices, but she is serving her customers smaller portions.

Higher pork prices mean shorter skewers.

She claims her customers understand why they’re paying the same for less, but her sales figures contradict that. Before, she was selling 400-500 skewers a day. Now she’s selling half that.

Most of her patrons are students, parents and laborers without much money. It doesn’t help most students attend school online, so they don’t come by every day.

If things continue, she will raise prices 12.5% to 6 baht a skewer.


Kaewjai says her customers understand why they’re paying the same for less, but her business has fallen as well.