Government seeks cooperation from private sector to hold prices of 205 items until November

BANGKOK: -- The government yesterday asked for cooperation from business entrepreneurs to hold current prices of 205 items of necessary products until November this year after global oil price is on downtrend.

Deputy government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the call for cooperation from the private sector was intended to help alleviate the burden of the people on the current high cost of living on the public.

He said the necessary products listed by the Commerce Ministry are vital to the people in their daily lives.

He said the products include as bag rice, fresh chicken meats, eggs, beef, pork, powdered milk, fresh milk, sugar, salt, vegetable oil, cement, tiles, galvanised iron, and steel bar.

He said the government wanted to see that business operators retained their prices for three months or until November.

The deputy government spokesman also thanked business operators for their cooperation and their understanding that Thailand is still facing a slow economic improvement due to the sluggish global economy recovery.

However, he stressed that if there is any product that they think should get a price increase, the commerce ministry will invite those involved for another discussion on the issue.

Meanwhile the commerce ministry has also asked food courts to carry on with the scheme to have an instant meal for 25 baht a dish until the end of September 2015, as a way to help the public ease the burden of having a higher cost of living.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/government-seeks-cooperation-from-private-sector-to-hold-prices-of-205-items-until-november-2

-- Thai PBS 2015-07-31

why doesn't the gov buy everything at twice the market value and then put it in a warehouse?

Deja vu, all over again, apologies to Yogi Berra.

Same, same (205 items), but different (year).

Article from June 16, 2014

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/734770-goods-prices-in-thailand-to-be-frozen-through-november/

Sorry but this is so frustrating . The guys at the top mess everything up and then go to the little guys to sacrifice to keep things affordable. No seem of shame.

Sorry but this is so frustrating . The guys at the top mess everything up and then go to the little guys to sacrifice to keep things affordable. No seem of shame.

Quote Meanwhile the commerce ministry has also asked food courts to carry on with the scheme to have an instant meal for 25 baht a dish until the end of September 2015, as a way to help the public ease the burden of having a higher cost of living. Unquote. Now what do you find strange about this statement well number one where can you buy a dish for 25 bahts? My g/f's favorite dish just went from 40 to 50 bahts at a popular food court. Number two they say to ease the burden of the having a higher cost of living yet they claim inflation is in the minus column. As per usual government statements something does not ring true here and yes the little guy is being made to sacrifice for government mismanagement but is this not the case worldwide? Thailand does not have a monopoly or hub on this.

They need to get a few Aldi and Lidl stores here, some food stuffs are cheaper in

UK than here,Bread ,Milk,2 examples.

Regards Worgeordie

Always the excuse of a world wide sluggish economy to downplay failures at home.

They need to get a few Aldi and Lidl stores here, some food stuffs are cheaper in

UK than here,Bread ,Milk,2 examples.

Regards Worgeordie

Aye well a nah where ya comin from hinnie, but theses buggers nah nowt. They canna tell sugar from <deleted>, ye nah man

They need to get a few Aldi and Lidl stores here, some food stuffs are cheaper in

UK than here,Bread ,Milk,2 examples.

Regards Worgeordie

Aye well a nah where ya comin from hinnie, but theses buggers nah nowt. They canna tell sugar from <deleted>, ye nah man

That should be Shy1te

I have been advised by my brief, from Osbourne Road, te say nowt.

They need to get a few Aldi and Lidl stores here, some food stuffs are cheaper in

UK than here,Bread ,Milk,2 examples.

Regards Worgeordie

Yes but the big end of town will never allow it to happen. The profit margins on supermarket items, unlike the rest of the world, is astronomical. Why for example does every brand of mouthwash (all made in Thailand) cost twice as much in supermarkets in Bangkok as they do in Australia? And why is the price the same, within a baht or two, in every store? Some would suggest price fixing, profiteering, gouging and a very closed market. Not only mouthwash but hundreds of items. Aldi wouldn't come in a hundred years under current arrangements.

They need to get a few Aldi and Lidl stores here, some food stuffs are cheaper in

UK than here,Bread ,Milk,2 examples.

Regards Worgeordie

Yes but the big end of town will never allow it to happen. The profit margins on supermarket items, unlike the rest of the world, is astronomical. Why for example does every brand of mouthwash (all made in Thailand) cost twice as much in supermarkets in Bangkok as they do in Australia? And why is the price the same, within a baht or two, in every store? Some would suggest price fixing, profiteering, gouging and a very closed market. Not only mouthwash but hundreds of items. Aldi wouldn't come in a hundred years under current arrangements.

Listerine and the other mouthwash makers must make a FORTUNE in Thailand with the prices charged for mouthwash. In USA I can buy a 1.5 litre of antiseptic mouthwash at Walmart for less than $3 USD. Hard to imagine that some local Thai company can't make a generic brand mouthwash which is basically water with some alcohol and coloring at a halfway reasonable price. If the mouthwash sellers in Thailand are NOT engaged in price fixing it's hard to imagine why the prices are so very high. I am always somewhat amazed at how many Thais I see buying Listerine cause it sure ain't cheap.