Street vendor’s fried wonton pricing sparks social media uproar

A recent social media post sparked a debate about the fairness of food pricing after a woman paid 50 baht for less than ten pieces of fried wontons from a street vendor. The post, which quickly went viral, led to a flurry of comments from netizens astonished by what they deemed an exorbitant cost for such a meagre serving.

On April 8, a member of the Facebook group We Are the Consumers, which boasts a membership of over 720,000, shared an image showing a small portion of fried wontons priced at 50 baht. The customer recounted their surprise upon receiving the order, which contained no filling, just crispy fried wonton wrappers.

“I’ve had fried wontons at many places, and they usually come with a pork filling. This time at a familiar eatery where I’d never ordered fried wontons before, the dish was just that: fried wontons, no filling, just crispy.

“I wasn’t angry because the name wasn’t misleading, but it was not what I expected. In the end, I ate them all. No one’s at fault here, it’s just that what fried wontons mean can vary from place to place. P.S. This dish was 50 baht.”

The post unleashed a torrent of reactions from the group’s members, many of whom criticized the high price for what is often a complimentary side dish at noodle shops or a cheap market find, where a large number of wonton wrappers can be purchased for deep-frying at home, reported Sanook.

“Good heavens, that’s too pricey! Was it at some upscale location?”

“Free wontons with noodles are more generous than this where I live.”

“A pack of 20-30 wontons costs 50 baht, and you get around 100 pieces. Are these wrapped in gold?”

“One baht per piece would be reasonable for such an offering.”

“The wontons aren’t unusual, but the price sure is—outrageously high.”

“Some noodle shops in my area give these away for free.”

“In Sukhothai, noodle shops offer a basketful of wontons to scoop out at no cost, along with fried vegetables.”

“At our place, we fry them and put up a sign saying ‘help yourself for free’ at the Yen Ta Fo shop.”

“The price is steep; where did you eat this? I want to make sure I don’t go there.”

The spirited exchange highlighted the varying expectations of street food cost and quantity, and whether the price should reflect not just the ingredients but also the preparation and service.

While no consensus was reached, the incident has undoubtedly left both vendors and customers pondering the value of street-side delicacies.