A popular pop-up Thai food truck, Thai by Tai, operating in Somerset, could be fined £1,000 for each customer who doesn’t pay a 10p “entrance fee” before approaching the van—due to an unusual licensing dispute with North Somerset Council.
Based in Cheddar, Thai by Tai, run by Tai Ketwong and Peter Swingler, serves authentic Thai street food in pub car parks around Somerset. However, when they operate in North Somerset, they must cordon off an area of the car park and charge a 10p fee to enter before customers can approach the van.
To ease the process, if customers lack change, a pot of 10p coins is available next to the payment box. While this rule may seem odd, North Somerset Council has warned the business it could face fines of up to £1,000 for every customer who buys food without paying the 10p fee.
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Last week in Nailsea, licensing officers observed the food truck for an hour, claiming eight customers ordered without paying and threatened an £8,000 fine. In response, Mr. Swingler and Ms. Ketwong now wear aprons reading, “Tai says: ‘Have you paid your 10p?’”
North Somerset Council insists it is simply enforcing its licensing regulations, which are linked to public safety and reinvest permit fees into maintaining standards. However, Mr. Swingler argues the council’s policies fail to consider mobile traders who move between locations.
Unlike Somerset Council, where no street trading license is required on private land such as pub car parks, North Somerset requires a street trading license for any place accessible to the public at no charge. While a one-week license costs £40, Mr. Swingler says he was told he cannot use this option.
Instead, council officers have insisted he must obtain an annual street trading license costing £1,860 for every location he operates — a staggering sum given he works only a few hours at each venue. “If I wanted to trade at ten pubs, that’s £18,600,” Mr. Swingler explains.
To circumvent this, he introduced the 10p entrance fee and cordon, meaning the public no longer has free access to the van. Despite lacking a clear response from the council beforehand, licensing officers have since monitored compliance.
Mr. Swingler clarifies: “I’m not trying to avoid paying the license, but the policy doesn’t reflect the reality of itinerant traders like me. It’s neither fair nor proportionate.”
The food truck boasts a top-tier food hygiene rating of five. Mr. Swingler notes that many food trucks are invited into pub gardens, welcomed by landlords who appreciate the additional business.
A North Somerset Council spokesperson stated: “All street traders must hold a permit, whether trading on public or private land, to ensure public safety. Our fees cover safety assessments and neighbor impact reviews and no profit is made. Traders operating without a permit risk enforcement action to maintain fairness and community protection.”
They added that no fines have yet been issued and the council provided guidance to help the trader comply with regulations.
For customers visiting Thai by Tai in North Somerset, the message is clear: don’t forget to pay your 10p entry fee!