Eating beef noodle soup at Thai airport, Vietnamese tourists are surprised because it is 4 times cheaper than at Noi Bai.

One day in March, Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung ( culinary expert, living in Hanoi) took a flight with friends to go on a 4-day, 3-night tour of Thailand.

After the plane landed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the group completed immigration procedures. Each person was given 200 baht (about 140,000 VND) by the travel agency to have a meal at the terminal before moving to the hotel.

According to Ms. Tuyet Nhung, the dining area at the international terminal of Suvarnabhumi airport is spacious with dozens of restaurants selling Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Indian food... and dishes for Muslims.

The 70,000 VND bowl of beef pho that Ms. Tuyet Nhung enjoyed at the airport in Thailand (Photo: Character provided).

Walking around the stalls, a female tourist from Vietnam noticed that the prices of the food were quite reasonable.

"I chose to eat a bowl of rare beef noodle soup for 90 baht (nearly 70,000 VND). This price is about 3-4 times cheaper than a bowl of noodle soup sold at the international terminal at Noi Bai airport," Ms. Nhung told Dan Tri reporter.

After 5 minutes, a hot bowl of pho was served at the table. In the bowl, in addition to the pho noodles, there were 5-6 pieces of beef with bean sprouts and onions.

"I felt the pho noodles were a bit hard but the broth was sweet thanks to the simmered bones, the beef was soft and fresh.

The quality of the meal cannot be better than Hanoi pho, but I rate it better than a similar bowl sold at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports," this customer commented.

The female tourist said that the quality of food at Vietnam's airports has improved a lot compared to previous years. However, food businesses still have a lot to do to offer more suitable prices.

A variety of food and drinks for customers to choose from at Thai airports (Photo: Character provided).

Not only Ms. Nhung, many members of the group visiting Thailand shared the same opinion, the price of rice, noodles, pho... at the airport in Bangkok is only about 10-20% more expensive than restaurants in the city.

"Looking at the airport in Bangkok, I also hope that the food at Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat airports is also diverse, with prices only slightly higher than outside," she said.

Prices at many airports around the world are not expensive.

As an avid traveler, this woman has had the opportunity to set foot in about 40 countries around the world. During a few flight delays, she has experienced the cuisine at several international airports.

The female culinary expert still remembers that a regular hamburger sold at a German airport costs 4 Euros (over 115,000 VND), and a special one costs 6.9 Euros (over 200,000 VND). This is an affordable price compared to the business location at the airport.

In Japan, the female tourist tried Japanese food and fruit. The prices of items sold in the waiting area for boarding the plane were only slightly higher than those in the supermarket outside.

In addition, the spacious space with many culinary brands for customers to choose from is what impresses her when coming to major airports around the world.

Over the years, realizing that airport food is sold at very high prices, Ms. Tuyet Nhung often has the habit of bringing her own food when traveling.

"On my recent trip to Chongqing (China), I brought rice balls and steamed shrimp paste to eat before boarding the plane, both to ensure food safety and to save money compared to eating expensive bowls of pho," said the customer.

Sharing the same opinion on this issue, Ms. Dang Huyen (living in Hanoi) said that airport food in Vietnam is more delicious than 5-7 years ago but still monotonous in terms of variety.

Having flown abroad many times, this female passenger had no other choice but instant noodles, bread and pho. Meanwhile, Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse, many regional dishes are not available at the airport.

"Many times, I have seen customers eating pho at the airport and complaining about the high price. However, they have no other choice when hunger strikes. Many people want to eat for the experience, but not everyone is satisfied with the sky-high price," Ms. Dang Huyen shared.

See airport food sales as a promotional opportunity

Having studied cuisine for many years, including pho, Ms. Tuyet Nhung believes that the airport is not only a place for business but can also become a place to promote culinary culture. To do this, companies need to enrich their daily menus.

"In addition to pho and banh mi, Vietnam has many delicious dishes such as Hue beef noodle soup, bun thang, and typical cakes of each region. Businesses can completely serve them to customers," Ms. Nhung said.

Talking about the reasons why a bowl of pho at the airport in Vietnam is so expensive, the female culinary expert said that the rental fee has the biggest impact along with other costs.

This customer commented that the affordable price of a bowl of pho in Thailand is probably due to the airport's cost subsidy policy.

"In Vietnam, authorities can work with businesses to implement similar programs to reduce food prices, as this is also a way to promote cuisine," she said.

Food court at an airport in Thailand (Photo: Bangkok).

Ms. Dang Huyen believes that when airport terminals are more spacious, management can set up cultural spaces with cuisine, music, and customs performances so that tourists can better understand Vietnam.

"If you want to attract many people, first of all, the price needs to be affordable. When customers enjoy a lot, the food brand is promoted to the world. If the price of food is high, customers are reluctant to eat, unintentionally losing an opportunity to introduce the beauty of cuisine," Ms. Huyen shared.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/an-pho-bo-o-san-bay-thai-lan-khach-viet-bat-ngo-vi-re-hon-o-noi-bai-4-lan-20250514200225665.htm