The offer sounds simple: a ready-meal machine in the lobby, run by the operator, no work for your staff. What the committee approves is a food business on common property, one residents will see as part of the building. It deserves the questions you would ask any food service, with the answers in writing.
This checklist for juristic persons (นิติบุคคล), building managers and committee members works for any operator; Plate Mate’s own answers come separately, at the end.
Settle who decides before you collect offers
Property guides summarising the Thai Condominium Act say the most important decisions about common property rest with the general meeting of co-owners, while the manager and committee act within the building’s regulations and resolutions. Earning income from common property, such as leasing space, may need a resolution of the general meeting (PropertyScout). Your regulations, and your legal adviser if in doubt, tell you which route applies.
Fix the roles early: who collects the operators’ answers (often the manager), who reviews them (the committee), and whether a co-owners’ meeting must vote, and when the next one is.
Food safety comes first, and it can be checked
An operator cannot show you a kitchen in the lobby, but should be able to explain how it covers the WHO’s five keys to safer food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials.
Dates are the easiest point to verify. Thai rules for packaged food require a Thai-language label with a date marked “หมดอายุ” (expiry) or “ควรบริโภคก่อน” (best before), and food may not be sold after its expiry date (Thai FDA, Notification No. 450 of 2024). Ask for a sample pack and check its label against these rules.
For restocking and upkeep, Singapore’s food agency sets a benchmark: it expects operators to check that pre-packed food is intact and untampered before restocking, to clean and maintain machines regularly and to replace faulty parts promptly (SFA). Singapore’s rules do not apply in Thailand, but they show what a careful operator does.
The checklist
| Area | Ask | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| Food type | Chilled, frozen or shelf-stable? How long does food stay in the machine? | A clear answer and matching storage |
| Kitchen and registrations | Where is the food prepared, which registrations does the operator hold? | Named documents, shown on request; a logo on a brochure proves nothing |
| Temperature | What is it in the machine, who monitors it, what happens if it goes out of range? | Monitoring in place and a clear response when it fails |
| Dates and labels | A date on every pack? Who removes expired packs? Thai labelling rules met? | Yes, a named person or team, a sample pack to check |
| Reheating | Microwave in the machine or at home? Instructions on the pack? | Clear instructions, no mess in shared areas |
| Restocking | Who comes, how often, how does food get from the vehicle to the machine? | A named team and an agreed route |
| Cleaning and repairs | Who does them? | The operator, in writing |
| Payments | Cash, Thai QR (PromptPay), e-wallets, cards? What if a payment goes through and nothing comes out? | Methods your residents use, foreign wallets or cards if needed, a stated procedure |
| Support | Who do residents contact about a purchase? | The operator, with contacts on the machine or easy to find |
| Duties | Who installs, restocks, cleans, maintains and removes the machine? What does the building provide? | A written split of duties |
| Money and insurance | Rent for the spot? Electricity? What does insurance cover? | Written terms and a policy the operator can show |
| Exit | How does either side end it, who removes the machine? | Exit terms agreed before installation |
| Spot | Does it block a route? Power outlet nearby? Airflow, no direct sun? Which entrance, lift and hours for stock? | Checked together on site |
| Demand | Do residents want it? | Evidence such as a poll in the building chat, not assumptions |
| Tasting and trial | Can the committee taste the food? Is a trial possible, how long, what happens at the end? | A concrete answer, not a promise |
| Access | Who can use the machine, and when? | A rule residents know in advance |
If your staff end up handling refunds or complaints, the machine costs the building more than the offer suggests. The split of duties is detailed in who does what between operator and building, the spot in space, power and service access, and access rules in can you buy from a condo machine 24/7: a machine in a residents-only lobby is not a public machine.
The order of the decision
- Send every operator the same questions and compare the written answers.
- See a working machine if you can: how clean it is, how it is stocked, the state of the packs.
- Taste the food with the committee, check demand and agree the spot on site.
- Read the draft agreement against the checklist, including access hours, exit and removal, then decide through the right body: the committee, or the co-owners’ meeting if your regulations require it.
- Plan the launch: how residents will hear about the machine and whom they should contact.
Plate Mate’s answers to the same questions
Only what Plate Mate states publicly is listed here. For anything else, ask us at the assessment meeting.
| Topic | Plate Mate |
|---|---|
| Food type | Meals in our machines are chilled, not frozen. |
| Dates and reheating | Every meal has a use-by date on the pack. Packs carry reheating instructions. |
| Temperature | We monitor the temperature inside our machines remotely. |
| Microwave | The built-in microwave only works after a purchase, so it doesn’t turn into a shared microwave. |
| Service scope | Plate Mate supplies, installs, restocks and cleans the machine, handles technical service and supports buyers, within the agreed terms. |
| Restocking | We restock our machines regularly. |
| Payments | All machines take cash and QR payments (PromptPay, TrueMoney, Alipay, WeChat Pay); some also take physical bank cards (no contactless). |
| Support | Buyers contact us directly, on WhatsApp, Telegram or by phone. |
| Camera | Some machines have a camera that helps us review disputed purchases and protect the machine. |
| Rent and electricity | Plate Mate pays the building rent for the spot; the amount and electricity are agreed individually. |
| Menu | The current menu is on our website; the assortment varies by machine. Calories and macros on our packs are calculated from the recipe, not measured in a laboratory. |
| Space | We assess the spot together with the building before installation. |
| Trial and tasting | We discuss both individually with each building. |
The menu shows what residents could buy, and the map shows where our machines already work. What happens to a meal before it reaches the machine is traced in the journey of a chilled meal.
Sources
- Five keys to safer food manual · World Health Organization · 2026-10-23
- Purchasing Food from Vending Machines · Singapore Food Agency · 2026-10-23
- Notification No. 450 B.E. 2567 (2024) Re: Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (unofficial English translation) · Thai FDA (Ministry of Public Health) · 2026-10-23
- What is a condo juristic person and how much authority does it hold · PropertyScout · 2026-10-23
