Cost Of Living In Thailand

[Luckydog]

I wondered where all my money was going!

Thai household energy expenses rise 16 per cent per year

Average Thai household energy expenses rose 16 per cent annually from 2004 to 2006, due mainly to the sharp rise in fuel prices, according to the National Statistics Office. From 2002 to 2004, the rise was only 6.9 per cent per annum.

"The increase is astonishing. The survey shows that average monthly household expenses in 2006 reached Bt14,300 and energy costs of Bt1,434 accounted for 10 per cent," said the office's secretary general Thananuch Tritipphayabutr on Wednesday.

In 2004, an average household paid Bt1,066 a month in energy costs, but the figure increased to Bt1,434 a month in 2006.

Of the Bt1,434, Bt307 went on diesel fuel, compared to only Bt181 per household in 2004. Gasoline expenses moved up from Bt435 to Bt567. Electricity costs rose from Bt333 to Bt378, while spending on cooking gas rose slightly from Bt56 to Bt64.

The small increase in costs for cooking gas could be attributed to the government's decision to maintain a price subsidy.

Household expenses on natural gas for vehicles (NGV), gasohol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) also rose from Bt1 to Bt30 over the period.

[cclub75]

"The increase is astonishing. The survey shows that average monthly household expenses in 2006 reached Bt14,300 and energy costs of Bt1,434 accounted for 10 per cent," said the office's secretary general Thananuch Tritipphayabutr on Wednesday.

In 2004, an average household paid Bt1,066 a month in energy costs, but the figure increased to Bt1,434 a month in 2006.

Meanwhile, the CPI (official index of inflation) is going down.

Bangkok Post, Thailand - May 1, 2007

The annual inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) fell to a three-year low of 1.8% in April, down from 2.0% in March and 2.3% in ...

Ah ah ah ah ah.

[englishoak]

Average Thai household energy expenses rose 16 per cent annually from 2004 to 2006

I can only dream of such low increases in the UK, 49% rise in the year 2005-2006

[soundman]

The way the Govt. comes up with "official figures" is easy to understand. They pick the desired figure that will make them look good for eg. GDP or Inflation & then massage all the all figures to fit. No truth to the figures whatsover. Not even ballpark.

Independent think tanks like KRC are not much better. Quite often they are relying on govt. figures themselves & more often than not have their own hidden or sponsored agendas.

Cheers,

Soundman.