SPENDING
People spending more on food despite low inflation, survey finds
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Despite continued declines in the prices of fuel and raw materials, Thais have been spending more on purchasing food and dining out, according to a survey by the Commerce Ministry’s Policies and Trade Strategies Bureau.

The survey showed that the cost of dining out had increased consistently for 11 months from January to November, despite the Consumer Price Index declining.

In January, the price of home-cooked food rose 3.89 per cent year on year, while the price of dining out increased 4.09 per cent. Prices of both cooked food and dining out have continued to increase over the past 11 months. The price of home-cooked food rose 0.91 per cent and that of dining out surged 1.36 per cent in November from the same month last year.

The survey found the biggest increases in the cost of dining out was in fast food, food courts and restaurants.

Meanwhile the cost of raw food materials was stable of even declined over the 11-month period. The price of pork has stayed the same all year at about Bt130-Bt135 per kilogram, while chicken meat was stable |at Bt65-Bt70 a kilo. Egg prices decreased from about Bt2.90-Bt3 each early this year to about Bt2.50 now.

Vegetable prices have also been stable but may increase for some types because of the drought. Prices of seasonings such as fish sauce and sugar, as well as cooking oil, have also remained the same, while some even declined because of tough competition during the sluggish economy.

Global oil prices, meanwhile, have decreased continuously from about US$76 per barrel early this year to only $36 per barrel this month.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/People-spending-more-on-food-despite-low-inflation-30275865.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-30

What a useless article

The article is right in pointing out that despite of the same or lower raw food materials , the food prices for the comsumer are up up up !

How is it that EGGS at Tesco are 4.5 Baht and not your price of 2.5. Where do persons go to get eggs at 25 baht for 10-----prove it.

orange drink to dilute up from 48 baht to 53 baht (queen brand) Bananas increase. and so on.

Spending has increased because prices have risen, NOT because people are buying more.

How is it that EGGS at Tesco are 4.5 Baht and not your price of 2.5. Where do persons go to get eggs at 25 baht for 10-----prove it.

orange drink to dilute up from 48 baht to 53 baht (queen brand) Bananas increase. and so on.

Spending has increased because prices have risen, NOT because people are buying more.

I get my eggs at the market for that price.. often supermarkets are a ripoff. Just go to markets it will safe you money. (at least for fruit and vegetables)

How is it that EGGS at Tesco are 4.5 Baht and not your price of 2.5. Where do persons go to get eggs at 25 baht for 10-----prove it.

orange drink to dilute up from 48 baht to 53 baht (queen brand) Bananas increase. and so on.

Spending has increased because prices have risen, NOT because people are buying more.

I get my eggs at the market for that price.. often supermarkets are a ripoff. Just go to markets it will safe you money. (at least for fruit and vegetables)

Fruit and veg -I agree.................eggs, well having bought local traders some eggs bad (old) I have even had a chick inside one, problem there is no control on feed --and where the eggs actually come from. try taking any bad eggs back ?

Certainly whoever concocted the myth that prices are stable is biased. BUT if it stated that it was based on local market prices Then it is about right.

Who sells the most stuff ??/ Tesco--Big C---Tops----better they survey the biggest sellers there will be a difference.

How is it that EGGS at Tesco are 4.5 Baht and not your price of 2.5. Where do persons go to get eggs at 25 baht for 10-----prove it.

orange drink to dilute up from 48 baht to 53 baht (queen brand) Bananas increase. and so on.

Spending has increased because prices have risen, NOT because people are buying more.

I get my eggs at the market for that price.. often supermarkets are a ripoff. Just go to markets it will safe you money. (at least for fruit and vegetables)

Fruit and veg -I agree.................eggs, well having bought local traders some eggs bad (old) I have even had a chick inside one, problem there is no control on feed --and where the eggs actually come from. try taking any bad eggs back ?

Certainly whoever concocted the myth that prices are stable is biased. BUT if it stated that it was based on local market prices Then it is about right.

Who sells the most stuff ??/ Tesco--Big C---Tops----better they survey the biggest sellers there will be a difference.

Maybe you bought at the wrong local trader bought countless eggs at the local trader where loads of normal Thais buy them too and never a problem. I think more eggs might be sold by local traders as Tesco and Big C. But that is just a guess can't back it up. But I know for a fact that most restaurants and poorer people buy at the local trader.

If you find a local trader that does huge volumes the risk of old eggs is real low.

J*****nta-nomics logics.

When the food prices go up, people have to pay the prices or otherwise they will starve...

How is it that EGGS at Tesco are 4.5 Baht and not your price of 2.5. Where do persons go to get eggs at 25 baht for 10-----prove it.

orange drink to dilute up from 48 baht to 53 baht (queen brand) Bananas increase. and so on.

Spending has increased because prices have risen, NOT because people are buying more.

A week ago , 77 B for 30 at makro (= 2,56 B/egg). Nice big ones too with a date to early januari.

"The survey found the biggest increases in the cost of dining out was in fast food, food courts and restaurants"

Raw ingredients and fuel do not constitute the major cost of business in such establishments. Rent and wages do.

A couple of years ago, a cooked taplia bought from the local market was 100 baht. Now it's 200. Just one example - there are lots more, according to my missus who mostly does the shopping.

"People spending more on food despite low inflation, survey finds"

Maybe people are just eating more. Seems like the waistlines of my gf and her friends have been seeing some inflation over the past couple of years...

How can they even gather these statistics ?

A large portion of these food sellers whom work outside large cities at large or small markets, roadside streets don't pay any taxes.

How can the govt know people are spending more on food?