Going bananas: Songkhla’s top fritter vendor in a slippery situation
A well-known banana fritter vendor in Songkhla is facing difficulties due to a sharp increase in the price of bananas and a shortage of supply.
Sales have dropped, and profits have dwindled, forcing some vendors to raise their prices. However, one vendor decided to keep her prices the same out of concern for her customers.
At the entrance to the Songkhla Zoo in Khao Rup Chang, Songkhla City, Arjulee Thawakit and her husband Supavit Thawakit have been selling banana fritters every day from their food cart.
The couple, aged 60 and 62 respectively, have built a loyal customer base of both regulars and passersby. They begin selling their banana fritters, sweet potato fritters, and jackfruit fritters from 10am until 2pm, often needing to use a queue system to manage the high demand.
Currently, the high price and shortage of bananas are causing significant trouble for vendors. In the past, a bunch of bananas cost between 12 and 15 baht, but now the price has soared to 35 baht per bunch. Usually, the couple would use 45 bunches of bananas and 10 kilogrammes of purple sweet potatoes each day.
Due to the current situation, they can only procure 25 bunches of bananas each day. To meet customer demand, they have had to supplement their supply with jackfruit fritters, but still manage to sell out before 2pm, thanks to both regular customers and those passing through Songkhla.
Banana fritter recipe
For over 20 years, Arjulee has been perfecting her banana fritter recipe, gaining a loyal following. Unlike typical vendors who use frying pans, she opts for aluminium pots, which she believes offer more consistent heat, ensuring the fritters cook evenly and become perfectly crispy. This unique frying method has set her apart from other vendors.
Arjulee explained that the price of bananas has increased significantly, now costing between 35 and 40 baht per bunch. Despite the impact on her business, she has chosen not to increase her prices.
She mentioned that although everything has become more expensive, she can still manage as long as she sells in large quantities. Raising prices could deter customers, leading to even lower profits.
“Bananas are very expensive and hard to find. In the past, a bunch of bananas cost around 12 to 15 baht, but now they are 35 to 40 baht. Although we are significantly affected, we haven’t raised our prices for customers.
“We manage by selling a lot. If we sell less, we won’t see any profit. We don’t plan to raise prices yet because we feel for our customers, but we hope they understand our situation as well.”
On a typical day, the couple would use about 40 to 50 bunches of bananas, but now they can only secure 25 bunches, a significantly smaller amount. Despite these challenges, Arjulee and Supavit continue their daily routine, ensuring their customers still receive their beloved banana fritters without a price increase, reported KhaoSod.
