Thai Comedian Defends Fried Banana Stall Amid Online Criticism

Loss-making and facing heavy criticism, comedian Em Witthawat opens up about the controversy surrounding his fried banana stall, saying he only made 32,200 baht in profit over ten days and insists 'just don't profit!' He says life has been tough but he refuses to give up, and notes that he will continue selling at the JJem Ratchaburi Pak Kret Wat Saphan Sung location on October 20. Regarding why the stall went viral, Em says he never intended for it to look a certain way, acknowledging that some people will like it and others won't, and that he likely falls into the group disliked by many. He adds that he never thought of himself as anything other than a vendor, just like everyone else, and points out comments criticizing his marketing as good but his management as poor, noting that his company, Year Golden 19 Production Co., Ltd., handles production and that production must come first, with plans already laid out, yet the marketing turned out differently than expected, making it seem like he's the only one shocked. When asked about the high price of fried banana, Em responds that 'expensive' is relative—some find 20 baht expensive, others 50 baht, and some 100 baht not expensive at all. He explains that all costs are now raw material costs, noting that if he hired an outside chef it would cost more; his friend Eue, who acts as chef, receives 50,000 baht, while he and his younger sibling each get 30,000 baht, and the assistant head chef gets 20,000 baht. Regarding skepticism over the profit figure, Em laughs and says the profit after all deductions over ten days is 32,200 baht going to him personally, which he considers worthwhile because he gained production experience from four companies and two snack endorsements, calling it a fair trade. He adds that the venture has allowed him to branch out, noting that people wonder how famous stalls earn hundreds of thousands or millions when they already have ingredients and only need to add them; he recalls a comment about a 500,000‑baht tent, pointing out that critics overlook labor, lodging, food, pots, and recipe costs, which together amount to far more than half a million baht. Asked if he feels discouraged by the modest profit, Em says he feels happy because he didn't expect to earn that much, and he regularly checks his earnings with his younger sibling, enjoying the process of selling goods, whether for profit or content, since everyone sells for profit but the production aspect makes it feel like content. When asked about raising the price to 500 baht per box, Em says that refers to the 'shopping‑agent' job, noting he has worked as one before and that many people have done it; his post about not wanting shopping agents stemmed from seeing people line up to buy his 100‑baht banana bites while others were willing to act as agents.