Increased Fares From Early August

[george]

People face fare rises from early August

BANGKOK: -- Caused by continued oil price hikes, Thai people are facing higher costs of living, including increased transport fares.

Private operators of inter-provincial buses on Tuesday (Aug 1) raised their fares by Bt0.03 per kilometre, as approved by Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal last month.

Fares of inter-provincial buses and city-buses run by state-owned the Transport Company Limited and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), nonetheless, remain unchanged.

Private operators of city buses have also agreed to keep their fares unchaged, as the transport minister promised that the government would provide them with financial support--with the cooperation of local banks--in converting their engines to be natural gas for vehicles (NGV)-based or in purchasing new NGV-based buses, like that given to the Transport Company Limited and BMTA.

The Transport Ministry will reportedly allow the private city bus operators to raise their fares when the retail diesel price shoots up to Bt27.94 per litre, from Bt27.54 per litre now.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Metro Co., Ltd. (BMCL), the operator of the city's subway system, announced on Monday that the company would raise the underground train fares from Bt14-36 to Bt15-39, taking effect from August 5.

The subway fare rise was approved by the cabinet on July 3.

However, the company is required to announce the new fare hike to the public one month before the new fare is to be officially imposed.

BMCL said the company would, nevertheless, offer a 15-30 per cent discount for students and people using monthly coupons.

--TNA 2007-08-01

[cclub75]

BANGKOK: -- Caused by continued oil price hikes, Thai people are facing higher costs of living, including increased transport fares.

Non, non, repeat after me : there is no in-fla-tion in Thailand.

Why ? Because Pongsak told us that NEVER oil price will reach 30 THB per liter, because BOT is telling us that inflation will decrease "later", and because Thoxic repeats that the thai economy is sabai sabai.

More seriously, after the transports sector, the ugly beast of inflation will make some noise in other sectors, less obvious.

Right now, the barriers are still holding (because our dear caretaking government has... prohibited price increases for many "controlled" products, until the election).

But after elections, and if we have another powerfull hike on the oil world market, then...

Israel/Lebanon/Syria/Iran... And since yesterday another UN resolution against iran to stop uraninum enrichment before 31 august... All the characters are now on stage.

You are going to love the show.

[Scott]

Why do prices keep rising, but my wages don't?

[Soju]

Why do prices keep rising, but my wages don't?

Simple. Because either you don't demand that your wages rise accordingly, or you have a job that doesn't allow you to make such a demand, ie. if you did you'd be let go and a replacement found.

I always demand an annual raise in my salary to match inflation plus some additional increase to reflect my additional experience and loyalty to my company and have gotten it everytime. On the rare occasion in my career where my employer asked me to accept no increase, I quickly let it be known that I would be out looking for a job the next day and the requested raise was promptly agreed to.

[marquess]

Why do prices keep rising, but my wages don't?

The parenial question that I have often asked myself! Wages don't really go up here, at least at my Uni they haven't for the last five years. But at least it is not hyper inflation Zimbawe style!

[cclub75]

The parenial question that I have often asked myself! Wages don't really go up here, at least at my Uni they haven't for the last five years. But at least it is not hyper inflation Zimbawe

I guess we have a very different situation within private businesses.

(But don't forget that Thaksin has increased salary of civil servants by 5 % last november.)

In the industry : wages are going up. Every year, following the inflation rate, for white and blue collars. And that's a minimum, because the labor market is tense. It's difficult to find employees. And when you have good ones, you need to keep them...