A plain omelette costing 400 baht and other dishes featuring sky-high prices at a restaurant in the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market in Ratchaburi have become the target of tourist complaints.
The story emerged after an online report said that tourists at the market were charged 400 baht for a simple omelette and 1,400 baht for a large fried rice dish with only egg and vegetables.
The story quickly went viral as the poster questioned whether the prices were reasonable.
The restaurant, which has not been named, was located on the canal side, which required customers to arrive by boat. The restaurant displayed menu prices clearly, said a local official.
During the inspection, the owner said the food prices were high because she faced high costs for rent, staff wages and ingredients. As well, she has to pay about 900 baht for each boatload of tourists that arrives.
The restaurant agreed to lower prices on the advice of authorities, who said they would also review its food costs. A restaurant found guilty of price gouging can face fines up to 140,000 baht and/or up to seven years in prison.
The same restaurant had previously faced complaints over a 900-baht pad thai, and later lowered its price to 500 baht after being warned by authorities.
