Commerce orders market monitoring as drought deteriorating



BANGKOK: -- The commerce minister has ordered commerce officials to monitor prices of farm products as well as fruits closely as some might disappear from the markets, or might rise high due to the deteriorating of the drought situation now spread across the country.

The ministry’s permanent secretary Mr Somchart Soithong said as drought this year is severer and is expected to last longer than any other year, the commerce minister Mrs Apiradi Tantaraporn has ordered that officials monitor markets closely so that measures be properly implemented to ease the burden of the people .

Higher prices of farm products and fruits might be charged due to the critical drought situation had made supplies falling short.

It was reported that the number of produce such as lime, Chinese kale, water convolvulus, bog choy, napa cabbage, and cabbage could be decreased with the season.

Meanwhile, the hot weather has also caused pigs to grow very slowly.

But yesterday’s monitoring did not find any unusual price hike.

Prices of fruits remained usual as some fruits are now in season.

Fresh pineapples with the size between 10-10.5 centimetres in diametre are being sold to markets at the price of 9.1-11.4 baht per kilo.

Grade A longans are being sold at the price of 27.5 baht per kilo, as the fruit is still off season.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/161581


-- Thai PBS 2016-04-29

May be only raise the price in Bangkok.They have all the money

Glad to hear the drought is deteriorating.

I hate cabbage of any sort, so this is definitely an improvement!

Glad to hear the drought is deteriorating.

I'll admit that was my thought also until I read further.

More seriously though and on the subject of the drought, has any consideration been given to the possibility that what Thailand is now witnessing may not just be an effect of an "El Niño year" but may auger a new norm?

(Here I'm speculating on the damming of rivers in countries further upstream and the possibility of those same ones potentially seeding clouds for rainfall prior to them reaching Thailand. Anyone have further thoughts on this rampant speculation of mine?)

I often find that a picture is worth a thousand words. So let me see if I can paraphrase the current state of the Thai economy . . .

Blue and swirling?☺☺

Edited April 30, 201610 yr by JAG

Blue and swirling?☺☺

Or about to take a dump.

Supply and demand. Duh!

This is the sort of announcement designed to convince you the entire Commerce Ministry is not asleep at their desks.

Is there a fruit and vegetable price policy? Sounds like it might be "if prices get too high, then figure out what to do, if anything".

May be only raise the price in Bangkok.They have all the money

How many of the 12 million people living in Bangkok have money ?

May be only raise the price in Bangkok.They have all the money

How many of the 12 million people living in Bangkok have money ?

All of them, obviously.

But more to the point, the question should be, "Is there a significant income disparity between residents of Bangkok and the rest of the country?"

According to a study of income inequality in Thailand, based on data from 1975 to 1998 (admittedly a bit dated at this point) income disparity between Bangkok and rural areas increased; per capita incomes in Bangkok were 2.6 times higher than rural northeastern areas in 1975, and 3.4 times higher in 1998.

Moreover, the World Bank reports (somewhat contradicting the above source regarding the trend):

"Poverty in Thailand is primarily a rural phenomenon. As of 2013, over 80 percent of the country's 7.3 million poor live in rural areas. Moreover, an additional 6.7 million were living within 20 percent above the national poverty line and remained vulnerable to falling back into poverty. Although inequality has declined over the past 30 years, the distribution in Thailand remains unequal compared with many countries in East Asia. Significant and growing disparities in household income and consumption can be seen across and within regions of Thailand, with pockets of poverty remaining in the Northeast, North, and Deep South."

Visually, one look at the Bangkok skyline, as compared with the other cities in Thailand, will tell you where the wealth is concentrated.

At any rate, none of this should be a surprise, as this sort of disparity is common for many countries.

May be only raise the price in Bangkok.They have all the money

How many of the 12 million people living in Bangkok have money ?

All of them, obviously.

But more to the point, the question should be, "Is there a significant income disparity between residents of Bangkok and the rest of the country?"

According to a study of income inequality in Thailand, based on data from 1975 to 1998 (admittedly a bit dated at this point) income disparity between Bangkok and rural areas increased; per capita incomes in Bangkok were 2.6 times higher than rural northeastern areas in 1975, and 3.4 times higher in 1998.

Moreover, the World Bank reports (somewhat contradicting the above source regarding the trend):

"Poverty in Thailand is primarily a rural phenomenon. As of 2013, over 80 percent of the country's 7.3 million poor live in rural areas. Moreover, an additional 6.7 million were living within 20 percent above the national poverty line and remained vulnerable to falling back into poverty. Although inequality has declined over the past 30 years, the distribution in Thailand remains unequal compared with many countries in East Asia. Significant and growing disparities in household income and consumption can be seen across and within regions of Thailand, with pockets of poverty remaining in the Northeast, North, and Deep South."

Visually, one look at the Bangkok skyline, as compared with the other cities in Thailand, will tell you where the wealth is concentrated.

At any rate, none of this should be a surprise, as this sort of disparity is common for many countries.

The study is indeed a bit dated. Some here told me the early 2000's saw a tremendous economical and wealth increase in the NorthEast.

Anyway Lovelomsak's remark on 'raise prices in Bangkok' will not be appreciated by at least 8 - 9 out of 12 millions citizens.