Thailand: 13 straight months of negative inflation

[webfact]

Thailand: 13 straight months of negative inflation
By Nopparat Chaichalearmmongkol

BANGKOK--Thailand registered its 13th straight month of negative inflation in January, mainly due to falling oil prices, according to the latest report from the Commerce Ministry.

The ministry said Monday that the country's headline consumer price index fell 0.53% from a year earlier and 0.26% from December. Thai CPI fell 0.9% in 2015, with the index languishing in negative territory throughout the year.

The January inflation readings are weaker than the median forecasts for a 0.46% fall from a year earlier and a 0.175% drop from the previous month, according to a Wall Street Journal poll of economists.

Full story: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/thailand-13-straight-months-of-negative-inflation-2016-01-31

-- MARKET WATCH 2016-02-01

[keeniau96]

So the bar fines have declined, yes? {grin}

[jaywalker]

These guys just flew by my window too.

[Reigntax]

My car tyre suffered negative inflation recently. Sounds so much better than flat or just stuffed!

Does anybody know where I can purchase a positive deflator?

[worgeordie]

But the prices keep going up !,one example Boiled Ham was 67 THB for long time ,4-5 slices in Packet,

now 80 THB for 3 slices,prices for goods should be coming down,with the decrease in petrol prices,but

they are not,when petrol rises 1 THB,price of most things increase.

regards Worgeordie

[WhizBang]

13 months of 'negative inflation'? Really? Every day I go out and the cost of something has gone up. I have yet to see ANYTHING go down in price. In fact the only thing I have seen go down is the portion one gets, often at an increased price too.

[Hawk]

Mystical figures.

[Barnet]

Negative-inflation yet higher prices.....surely not. I find it hard to believe in a nation full of enterprize.

I'm in awe of the creativity I see before me each day. Last week alone I met a neighbour who has the imagination to make something new. He has this large chunk of loaned dosh to waste, I mean spend, and is considering investing in something nobody has thought of before. Like a salon or coffee shop or better still buy and build some shopfronts with views of the local crossroads.

[arunsakda]

I thought it's called deflation?

[trogers]

But the prices keep going up !,one example Boiled Ham was 67 THB for long time ,4-5 slices in Packet,

now 80 THB for 3 slices,prices for goods should be coming down,with the decrease in petrol prices,but

they are not,when petrol rises 1 THB,price of most things increase.

regards Worgeordie

Farmer Somchai does not know what Boiled Ham is...

Farang food has no deflation, only hold prices or raise them.

[Mr Creosote]

But the prices keep going up !,one example Boiled Ham was 67 THB for long time ,4-5 slices in Packet,

now 80 THB for 3 slices,prices for goods should be coming down,with the decrease in petrol prices,but

they are not,when petrol rises 1 THB,price of most things increase.

regards Worgeordie

This link is the consumer basket used to measure inflation. Its not up to date:

http://www.indexpr.moc.go.th/price_present/cpi/data/index_47_e.asp?list_month=01&list_year=2556&list_region=country

[Mr Creosote]

Mystical figures.

Probably not. Its not the kind of numbers a government wants to display. Deflation is very hard to reverse out of (just look at the problems Japan had). Expect a BoT rate rise.

[jacky54]

Beer gone up a lot, this week brooke baked beans that were 50 baht are now 55-62 depending on the shop, Schweepes tonic gone up from 12.5- 15 baht in big c, coffee gone up etc,maybe it's just foreign foods? Only thing coming down are petrol and knickers. Mrs was horrified in Pratuman special noodles now 60 baht, what's the world coming too, used to be 40

Edited February 1, 2016 by jacky54

[trogers]

Beer gone up a lot, this week brooke baked beans that were 50 baht are now 55-62 depending on the shop, Schweepes tonic gone up from 12.5- 15 baht in big c, coffee gone up etc,maybe it's just foreign foods? Only thing coming down are petrol and knickers. Mrs was horrified in Pratuman special noodles now 60 baht, what's the world coming too, used to be 40

Imported stuff cost more due to weakening of Baht to USD.

[ikke]

But the prices keep going up !,one example Boiled Ham was 67 THB for long time ,4-5 slices in Packet,

now 80 THB for 3 slices,prices for goods should be coming down,with the decrease in petrol prices,but

they are not,when petrol rises 1 THB,price of most things increase.

regards Worgeordie

Maybe because pigs don't eat petrol ?

[toybits]

Who are they going to sue for that?

[Prbkk]

Beer gone up a lot, this week brooke baked beans that were 50 baht are now 55-62 depending on the shop, Schweepes tonic gone up from 12.5- 15 baht in big c, coffee gone up etc,maybe it's just foreign foods? Only thing coming down are petrol and knickers. Mrs was horrified in Pratuman special noodles now 60 baht, what's the world coming too, used to be 40

Imported stuff cost more due to weakening of Baht to USD.

That's the theory, yes. However in these tough times, decades, one wonders about the extent to which that still applies: many exporters TO Thailand have been prepared to sacrifice margin in order to keep/grow market share. If that is the case then there is some profiteering going on as it is very evident that the price of most imported food is going through the roof. We will NEVER know.

The price of cheese is just ridiculous now: even stuff like La Vache Qui Rit, only good for smearing on a bit of toast. But good Kiwi or Aussie cheese should not be going up at all as those currencies have depreciated against the Baht

[jacky54]

Mainland cheddar cheese from NZ has gone up to 184 but it's still 169 in foodland

[trogers]

Mainland cheddar cheese from NZ has gone up to 184 but it's still 169 in foodland

Could be prices down a little but rental cost shot up...?

[Mister Fixit]

So the bar fines have declined, yes? {grin}

I doubt that. When business is slow, the first thing people here do is put up the prices

[robblok]

Beer gone up a lot, this week brooke baked beans that were 50 baht are now 55-62 depending on the shop, Schweepes tonic gone up from 12.5- 15 baht in big c, coffee gone up etc,maybe it's just foreign foods? Only thing coming down are petrol and knickers. Mrs was horrified in Pratuman special noodles now 60 baht, what's the world coming too, used to be 40

Imported stuff cost more due to weakening of Baht to USD.

That's the theory, yes. However in these tough times, decades, one wonders about the extent to which that still applies: many exporters TO Thailand have been prepared to sacrifice margin in order to keep/grow market share. If that is the case then there is some profiteering going on as it is very evident that the price of most imported food is going through the roof. We will NEVER know.

The price of cheese is just ridiculous now: even stuff like La Vache Qui Rit, only good for smearing on a bit of toast. But good Kiwi or Aussie cheese should not be going up at all as those currencies have depreciated against the Baht

I just let my parents send me good Dutch cheese straight from the factory once every while Just 4-5 kg vacuum sealed.. have only been hit for tax once. It is still cheaper as in the supermarket. (and much better quality)

[Mister Fixit]

In terms of general supermarket food prices, I'd say Thailand is on a par or even more than, the UK. Eggs, milk, everyday foodstuffs are way more than the UK now.

However, street food - noodles, fried rice, etc haven't moved - perhaps by 5 baht in some places. I can still get my duck noodles for 30 baht, haven't changed in 5 or more years.

[realenglish1]

Can you believe that NOK AIR is still charging a fulls surcharge

[trogers]

Can you believe that NOK AIR is still charging a fulls surcharge

Perhaps their planes run on LPG...

[Reigntax]

Beer gone up a lot, this week brooke baked beans that were 50 baht are now 55-62 depending on the shop, Schweepes tonic gone up from 12.5- 15 baht in big c, coffee gone up etc,maybe it's just foreign foods? Only thing coming down are petrol and knickers. Mrs was horrified in Pratuman special noodles now 60 baht, what's the world coming too, used to be 40

I thought with the military control more would be going commando.

[MaxiJaz]

But the prices keep going up !,one example Boiled Ham was 67 THB for long time ,4-5 slices in Packet,

now 80 THB for 3 slices,prices for goods should be coming down,with the decrease in petrol prices,but

they are not,when petrol rises 1 THB,price of most things increase.

regards Worgeordie

Maybe something is lost in translation and the word I keep hearing is Disinflation not deflation.

Disinflation is a decrease in the rate of inflation – a slowdown in the rate of increase of the general price level of goods and services in a nation's gross domestic product over time. It is the opposite of reflation.

I'm not an expert and I'm sure someone can clarify but this would account for prices still increasing.

Just an idea.

[maoro2013]

Isn't it called deflation?

The CPI works by valuing a basket of common requirements, some things may increase but then some may decrease, and they are weighted as to the amount of their impact.

[silent]

But the prices keep going up !,one example Boiled Ham was 67 THB for long time ,4-5 slices in Packet,

now 80 THB for 3 slices,prices for goods should be coming down,with the decrease in petrol prices,but

they are not,when petrol rises 1 THB,price of most things increase.

regards Worgeordie

This is Thailand so the negative numbers are its comparison to real world numbers.All relative to the differences in keeping track of time on a quarterly basis..

[wow64]

So the government has made things cheaper for everyone..

[oldsailor35]

ATM withdrawal fee up to 200 bht