Idea Of Prices Rising A Misconception: PM Yingluck

[siampolee]

Strange isn't we aren't seeing the normal rhetoric from the assorted government supporters here in this particular topic.

I wonder why that is, perhaps it is the fact that '' the truth hurts?''

I suppose it is that like Yinluck the vocal supporters of this current maladministration tend to view reality like this.

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Edited May 4, 2012 by siampolee

[americaninbangkok]

I shop at a market and prices have increased. Everything is increasing, even the kindergarten fees went up 18% yesterday.

I'm sure this is just a misconception on your part; call the PM and she will explain why you are imaging the price increases.

No... she'll just talk about the weather.

[Skywalker69]

Strange, not one TV Red Shirt supporter to defend her.

[TomTao]

She should pull her head out of the sand, or where ever else it may be buried, and have a look around instead of listening to her dream academy of ministers and advisors.

[4u2mad]

The only time a politician is not lying is when they aren't talking

[how241]

I shop at a market and prices have increased. Everything is increasing, even the kindergarten fees went up 18% yesterday.

I'm sure this is just a misconception on your part; call the PM and she will explain why you are imaging the price increases.

Good one. +1

[farang000999]

This is like the three stooges skit where the pipe is leaking and they put their finger on one spot but then the water starts leaking out of another. Do to their fradulent price fixing of prices at the production level, costs have risen at the retail level and meals costs more at vendors. Now they are going to mandate vendor prices - apparently, vendors across the country will charge the same prices regardless of location. Pretending that this could actually be enforced, vendors would then manage portions of food given to be in line with government mandated cost, at which point the government will then need to enforce more regulations on the portions of food offered for what price. At which point the vendors will stop working because they cannot turn a profit. Price fixing never works.

[Thai at Heart]

Strange, not one TV Red Shirt supporter to defend her.

Pretty insulting when millions of workers are earning between 300 and 500 baht per day and as such they know to the baht how much their daily spend on essentials is in reality. As if you shouldn't notice that what cost you 100 baht last month costs you 110 today. Of course, with the strengthening of the baht, we should have seen imported goods getting cheaper and cheaper for the last 10 years. Hmmmmm.

Thailand, the land of no inflation? As if there wasn't ongoing inflation anyway, the issue is whether it is 2.5, 3.5 or 10%. As for how they measure real inflation in this country anyway, god knows, it would be lovely to know what is the "average" basket of goods.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[Anon999]

Went on holiday to England late March and got back after Songkran. In that 3 week period the most obvious things I noticed was that a pack of water had risen from 49 baht to 58 baht and 2 litres of milk from 75 baht to 82 baht. If that's 'trending downwards' then maybe Yingluck should go shopping occasionally and let everyone know how much less it's costing her to buy the same things.

[JohnAllan]

A misconception? You mean it's all in the mind, Yingluck? My eyes seeing price rises - over several years - of well into double figures for various food products [not all, by any means] is actually a function of my brain's misinterpreting what my eyes are seeing?

Well, the next time I put a basket of items in front of the cashier of a food store, and am presented with a bill for 10% - that could be very much on the low side - more than my previous visit, for the same goods, I will refer her to your assurance that it is all a misconception on her part.

An anecdote, for an imported food item that Thais would rarely buy: some years ago, when Villa were the only stores where you could buy it, and at a price substantially higher than in the UK [it's since come down a lot], Emporium tried to introduce Lyles Golden Syrup into their food range. Someone had obviously interpretated the name literally, as it is the only time - outside of rationing - that I have ever seen tins of food kept under lock and key. While the UK price was probably around B80, Villa's around B360, Emporium were trying for over B700 . . . Needless to say, it didn't sell.

[Insight]

Amazing level of contempt for the voting public on display here. Was she given this line by somebody else, or did she come up with it all by herself?

Am not holding much hope, but there's an interesting article in the Bangkok Post today indicating that some of her red shirt supporters may be beginning to see the light.

[Crushdepth]

At the end of it, it all comes down to oil and gas prices.

Oil to make the fertiliser, oil to power the tractors, oil to power the generators to provide the electricity to run the processing factories, oil to power the distribution, oil, oil and oil.

I heard from an enormous egg producer the other day, they are actually losing money on selling the eggs ex factory because the cost of the feed has sky rocketed. Driers for this feed eat up huge quantities of lpg, which for industry is now at 29 baht a kilo. They make most of their profit for this year from selling the fertiliser produced from the chicken waste.

Anyone want a weaker baht? Then see the prices go ballistic......

As I'm not an economist perhaps someone who has more knowledge of economics could answer the question, what might happen if the baht was weaken in terms of domestic inflation?? Any takers?

Prices will shoot up - as someone else said up there: oil oil and more oil is needed to run everything, and the cost of oil goes up if the currency is weaker, so the cost of everything goes up, including street vendor food because they use LPG and petrol.

And if the government were to give everyone a million baht tomorrow, would a bowl of noodles still cost 30 the day after?

[KireB]

Amazing level of contempt for the voting public on display here. Was she given this line by somebody else, or did she come up with it all by herself?

Am not holding much hope, but there's an interesting article in the Bangkok Post today indicating that some of her red shirt supporters may be beginning to see the light.

Those who struggle the most are also those who voted her in, so they got what they deserve. The last thing the Thai oil dependent economy needs, is a populist and corrupt government. But, hey...................(in a way) Som Na Na!

[Payboy]

At the end of it, it all comes down to oil and gas prices.

Oil to make the fertiliser, oil to power the tractors, oil to power the generators to provide the electricity to run the processing factories, oil to power the distribution, oil, oil and oil.

I heard from an enormous egg producer the other day, they are actually losing money on selling the eggs ex factory because the cost of the feed has sky rocketed. Driers for this feed eat up huge quantities of lpg, which for industry is now at 29 baht a kilo. They make most of their profit for this year from selling the fertiliser produced from the chicken waste.

Anyone want a weaker baht? Then see the prices go ballistic......

As I'm not an economist perhaps someone who has more knowledge of economics could answer the question, what might happen if the baht was weaken in terms of domestic inflation?? Any takers?

Prices will shoot up - as someone else said up there: oil oil and more oil is needed to run everything, and the cost of oil goes up if the currency is weaker, so the cost of everything goes up, including street vendor food because they use LPG and petrol.

And if the government were to give everyone a million baht tomorrow, would a bowl of noodles still cost 30 the day after?

Don't think anyone has time to eat noodles once they have a million baht each. They'll be heading straight for the casinos across the border.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Payboy

[daninthai]

The mistaken "perception" is not that prices are not going up, everybody who pays attention knows that. It is that the government can continue to attempt to create a fantasy about so many issues and think that people are accept that fantasy as reality.

Price controls are a bad joke.

This government is aiming to create a communist state, it seems. Control prices, wages, information (which is never accurate or true)and subsidize everything until there is no more money to go around.

[hyperdimension]

Yingluck should go shopping occasionally and let everyone know how much less it's costing her to buy the same things.

I'm sure she goes shopping, but probably not where the ordinary folk go. I know of a chairperson of a particular company whose normal monthly personal expenditure is around 400k baht. I wouldn't be surprised if Yingluck spends more than that.

[hyperdimension]

And if the government were to give everyone a million baht tomorrow, would a bowl of noodles still cost 30 the day after?

Don't think anyone has time to eat noodles once they have a million baht each. They'll be heading straight for the casinos across the border.

If that money came from the central bank simply creating it out of thin air (which is what central banks do), the baht will be severely devalued due to dilution, causing massive inflation (more money chasing the same goods and services).

[hyperdimension]

Strange isn't we aren't seeing the normal rhetoric from the assorted government supporters here in this particular topic.

Yeah, come on phiphidon, where's your "But Abhisit..!" rhetoric?

[hyperdimension]

A misconception? You mean it's all in the mind, Yingluck? My eyes seeing price rises - over several years - of well into double figures for various food products [not all, by any means] is actually a function of my brain's misinterpreting what my eyes are seeing?

"Do not try to bend the spoon — that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth: there is no spoon."

[ratcatcher]

This is like the three stooges skit where the pipe is leaking and they put their finger on one spot but then the water starts leaking out of another. Do to their fradulent price fixing of prices at the production level, costs have risen at the retail level and meals costs more at vendors. Now they are going to mandate vendor prices - apparently, vendors across the country will charge the same prices regardless of location. Pretending that this could actually be enforced, vendors would then manage portions of food given to be in line with government mandated cost, at which point the government will then need to enforce more regulations on the portions of food offered for what price. At which point the vendors will stop working because they cannot turn a profit. Price fixing never works.

I think it's something called 'reality'.

[Tanaka]

And we all thought the Dems were out of touch with the common man. She is clearly out of touch with reality, perhaps the pressure of the job is getting to her?

What job?

[slapout]

Is it just me or is this woman sounding like what I hear at the house " You don't understand, you are farang"?

Seems that Ms PM is telling the Thai population the same thing, but in even a more arrogant manner. The lady seems to be following her brothers mode of governance, but on a faster track. Guess she can skip the feeling the way peroid as brother has been there and is pointing/instructing how things will be done/handled.

The media is giving several reports a day as to what the PM has said, done, demanded and deligated, The PR campaign seems to be progressing, now the brain washing is being implemented. What next, the personal security detail, numbering in the thousands?

[Crushdepth]

Strange isn't we aren't seeing the normal rhetoric from the assorted government supporters here in this particular topic.

Yeah, come on phiphidon, where's your "But Abhisit..!" rhetoric?

I'll stand in while he's away at the Hitler Youth camp.

This is a politically motivated story pushed by the criminally negligent editorial staff of the world's worst coupist newspaper. Inflation was much higher under the Dems inferior economic management and had the army not illegally coupist thrown coupist the democraticaly coupist government out, we would all be living in Nirvana right now.

[bigbamboo]

I think I'll put Yingluck's theory to the test. Next time I go to get my annual visa when they tell me the cost I'll shall say to the smiling official behind the desk, "Sorry, but you have that all wrong. That is merely your perception of the price but it is actually lower than you think. Call Ms Yingluck herself if you don't believe me."

[MikeOboe57]

Anyone notice that she looks pretty desperate and close to tears?

A stark contrast to the background picture expressing the confidence of those halcyon days long gone.

[volk666]

If rice is getting too expensive - let them eat cake!

Bangkok Pundit quoted a couple of explanations for this phenomenon. YL got the inflation numbers from the govt agencies that compare numbers year on year, not month on month, April las year saw record inflation so comparing to last April increase this year doesn't look so bad. People, however, don't remember what things cost a year ago, they remember what they were last month much better.

Another point, and the most important one, is that prices do not rise equally, and not each category increase has the same effect on what she called "perception". Raw food prices, for example, didn't go up very much, restaurant prices didn't go up very much, but cooked food that people take home went up by 8%!

That is a one big increase that adds a lot to the "perception" considering how many urban Thais depend entirely on street bought food, and they are the ones making most of the noise comparing to rural farmers live mostly on fresh market stuff and cook it at home.

Edited May 4, 2012 by volk666

[bigbamboo]

I actually agree with her. The high inflation numbers are indeed a misconception. The price of perfumes, tablet pc's from China (lol), expensive watches, airfares to the Maldives, visits to Angkor Wat, tickets for the Manchester derby, Burberry items have indeed never been cheaper for Thais. Also the fact that a lot of food items have doubled in price, or 30% up, is just not true. You just get 2 pound instead of 1 kilogram, beer and water is served and sold in smaller bottles (as if we didn't notice!), and even a nice portion of noodle soup is not what it used to be, I mean where is the red pork?

have you notice that soft drinks bottle in Thailand has grew quite a bit.

used to be only 285ml (10 oz), and now almost half a liter as standard.

very good for consumer.

Do you consider soft drinks a necessary staple food

I do not

I have a friend who works for coke as a salesman, he says

the profit margin on the small coke bottles are the biggest

profit margin items.He says that he laughs to himself every

time a customer order a few pallets.

I can believe that. Pub owners in Britain will tell you their biggest profit margins are not from beer or wine or spirits but from the mixers.

Edited May 4, 2012 by bigbamboo

[12DrinkMore]

How the hell do you control the price of food at street vendors?

Good question. When I read this...

"The government will control the price of fast food at Bt25-30 for popular menu items such as pork fried rice with basil, red curry chicken with rice, and Chinese fried noodle to reduce the cost of living for low-income consumers," said the source.

I am thinking to get prices to 25-30 baht, the government doesn't need to "control the price", they need to "roll back the price" as the number of establishments that still sell at 25 baht is small.

With the thousands of street food entrepreneurs, dictating to them what they charge is a pipe-dream.

If they did control the prices, (and who is going to police it? (Oh, maybe I shouldn't mention that, could be a nice earner, or a free meal/day)) all that would happen is that the vendors put less stuff onto the plate.

[OzMick]

"She is scheduled to announce the government's measures on television tomorrow."

IMHO the place to make these types of announcements is in parliament. But then she would have to face the type of criticism she has faced her, formulate rebuttal, and counter her critics with a non-prepared script. AS IF.

[hyperdimension]

Well, the next time I put a basket of items in front of the cashier of a food store, and am presented with a bill for 10% - that could be very much on the low side - more than my previous visit, for the same goods, I will refer her to your assurance that it is all a misconception on her part.

Tell the cashier "there is no price" and walk out.