Food delivery app ‘Robinhood’ waives fees amidst Bangkok’s lockdown

Photo: Robinhood
Photo: Robinhood

A Bangkok-based food delivery application announced on Sunday that it will waive the delivery fee for customers living in the capital and nine provinces where the curfew and restrictions are being imposed

Siam Commercial Bank, or SCB, who operates Robinhood, said that the food delivery platform will not collect delivery charges for the service for 15 days, from July 11 to 25, which covers the time Bangkok is imposing lockdown restrictions, including an overnight curfew and a ban on dining-in at eateries.

However, the high demand for orders may have caused the platform to crash since yesterday – an issue worsened by Robinhood’s limited number of delivery riders.  Robinhood apologized for the hiccups this morning and said that it will limit waiving its delivery fees to orders for restaurants located within a 10-kilometer radius of the customer. 

The venture said that waiving the fees, upwards of THB43, was to help “relieve” people of their daily expenses during these trying times and help small merchants retain income since they are not allowed to cater to diners amidst lockdown. Riders who registered with the application will also have more job opportunities, according to Thana Theinachariya, chairman of Purple Ventures.

Describing itself as an “alternative food delivery application for the small guys,” Robinhood was launched late last year. It is operated under Purple Ventures, a corporate venture under SCB Group, with an investment budget of THB100 million. 

Robinhood currently has 15,000 riders. The usual delivery fee starts at THB43 for the first 2-km distance while 3-km distance and above will be charged THB8 per kilometer.

With restaurants forced to close their dining rooms, survival for many has depended on take-out orders and app-based food delivery. But many restaurant owners have cited surge pricing for commissions, with many apps taking up to 35 percent from each order, as very real threats to their ability to make it through this crisis. 

Siam Commercial Bank is Thailand’s oldest bank with King Vajiralongkorn becoming its largest shareholder after shares held by the Crown Property Bureau valued at about US$500 million were transferred to him. Soon after taking power, the king put under his control the wealth and assets which had long been managed by the bureau.



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