The cost of street food has almost doubled since May 2014—or, since General Prayut Chan-ocha came to power, according to a study by Dr. Sopon Pornchokchai, a property valuer and real-estate researcher in the ASEAN Region, Africa and South America. The research , which tracked the price of khao rad-gaeng (curry on rice) and kuay tiew (noodle soup) at 20 stalls and a couple of food courts along Silom and Surawong roads from May 5, 2012, to May 16, 2019, says it was undertaken without any political motive, but the numbers don't lie.

Over the seven-year period, with the support from the Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA), the research team checked the price of street-food dishes 15 times.

In the two-year period prior to the 2014 coup, the average price of street food in the area went up from B31 to B33.3, an increase of about 5.2-percent year-on-year. But in the five years since Dear Leader's coming to power, prices have increased by 46.4-percent, a sharp increase of 7.9-percent per year.

Overall, from May 2012 to May 2019, average prices have leapt from B31 to B50.2, by about 62.1-percent in total or 7.14-percent per year.

Following March's disputed general election, Prayuth faces pressure to stimulate Thailand's sluggish economy. As if crippling household debt and the street food "ban" weren't enough, now the threat of a B100 bowl of kuay tiew is on the horizon.

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