Bun bonanza

If the sign of a thriving food business is a long queue of dedicated diners at the door, then the Malaysian bakery chain RotiBoy has hit the jackpot. Pass by its Siam Square branch in central Bangkok and you can't miss the crowds waiting in line, even in the searing heat of April. It's enough to make you wonder if there is some secret drug in the buns that keeps people coming back for more.

I'm assured that their coffee-flavoured buns are worth the wait - a steaming, delicious treat for only 25 baht ($5) each. So far, I've not wanted to brave the Disneyland-style queues for the sake of a bun so sweet that it would make my fillings scream. But I'm sure the bakers behind RotiBoy know their market: a patient, 30-minute lineup doesn't lie.

Or perhaps it's not so patient. Bangkok's fascination with RotiBoy - two outlets have opened since November and more are planned - has spawned a sideline for Thai entrepreneurs. Those willing to queue are touting their buns to those who don't want to wait - adding a 5- or 10-baht mark-up as reward for their endurance.

Not only lazy bun-lovers benefit. Because demand is so high, RotiBoy has a strict 10-bun-per-customer limit. That means the really greedy, or those sent on an office mission, must look to the black market to satisfy their cravings.

Now an enterprising woman has started a delivery service and roped in some friends to stand in line and fill up their bags with buns. 'Aunty Piak' told the Thai Post newspaper that she personally lines up 10 times a day at RotiBoy, where the staff by now must know her as a devoted bun lover. Her customers can call to arrange a pickup at nearby Siam station.

Assuming a 5-baht profit on each bun, Aunty Piak stands to make 500 baht a day, which is a much better wage than the staff at RotiBoy can expect to earn. They can't sell their wares from the back door, and can only buy their own daily allocation of buns at closing time.