Phuket Prices: What's Putting On The Pressure

Rice. Computers. Cement. Motorcycle taxi rides. Chillis. A hot shower. A small chicken. A haircut. A ladies' shirt. A tooth extraction. Shampoo.

THE PRICE of rice has surged alarmingly on Phuket along with the price of a motorcycle taxi ride and the cost of a bag of cement.

But inflation is being contained on the island so far, says the Department of Trade.

A spokeswoman in the department's Phuket office reports that Grade A rice has shot up from 135 baht for a five kilo bag to 217.25 baht between January and May.

Rice is one of 250 items and services checked each month on the island by department inspectors who track price rises and demand explanations where they are excessive.

While cars, pickups and motorcycles are the same price in May as in January, the cost of transport appears to be rising rapidly. So, it seems, is the cost of an education.

Motorcycle taxis are much more expensive, rising from 40 baht for a three kilometre trip in January to 55 baht in May.

Construction is also likely to be considerably more costly today. A bag of cement that cost 129.50 baht in January rose to 138 baht in May.

-- The other items and services that are costing more . . . go to www.phuketwan.com