It seems strange to me how some corporations go for the jugular when it comes to maximising profits. Normally I’m not one to have a major bitch session on our blog but it’s time I got this off my chest.
Starbucks at Kata Beach has to take the cake and then make you choke on the price for WiFi here in Phuket. Searching for friends and not knowing how to contacting them I resorted to the good old internet. Searching for someone who offers WiFi I stepped into a familiar surroundings, the ever popular Starbucks chain. Selecting an ice cold drink at a cost of 120thb I asked if the establishment had WiFi. The cost was more than a drink at the rate of 180thb for 3 hours!
Come on Starbucks, your coffee and cakes wouldn’t hold me in your stores for 3 hours so why offer 3 hour WiFi service. As a large corporation with thousands of stores I wouldn’t be suppressed if you obtained a corporate rate for internet.
Yet the little Thai operated joint almost next door offered 50thb for a cold beer and WiFi for as long as I needed. In fact once finding our friends we spent most of our night there playing pool and drinking cocktails.
Who wins…. The local Thai community, as we spend with the small guys.
Sorry Starbucks but you should rebrand…. How about Star Sucks.
