Prices of essentials going up

[Gaybutton]

See also "Headline News" March 23: viewtopic.php?p=120930#p120930

Price rises are expected and starting to happen as a result of the war. Just how much prices will rise and availability will fall remains to be seen, but the longer the war lasts and the longer the consequences of it will continue even after it ends the higher prices will go. The current price rises are probably insignificant to most farang, and may actually seem cheaper as the US dollar to baht rate goes more in our favor. Personally I am not worried about rising consumer goods prices. What I worry about is what might happen to fuel availability.

I think where farang are most likely to first feel a pinch will be when restaurant prices have to increase and some menu favorite prices might go sky high and then become unavailable at all. We'll see, but I am expecting things to get worse, especially for low income Thais, before they get better. I hope not too many Thais will try to resort to theft and robbery.

I think it would be a mistake if the government makes assurances and promises they can't keep. They might consider doing something quite rare for governments anywhere, in any country, to do - telling the truth . . .
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Pork, chicken and egg prices jump despite price freeze pledge

March 23, 2026

Thai consumers are being hit by rising pork, chicken and egg prices, despite the Commerce Ministry insisting no controlled goods have been allowed to increase

Thai consumers are being squeezed by rising living costs, with fresh food prices climbing sharply, particularly for pork, chicken and eggs.

The increases come amid conflict in the Middle East, which has driven up energy costs and disrupted global supply chains, in contrast to the Commerce Ministry’s insistence that no controlled goods have been allowed to raise prices and that price controls remain in place.

Data from the Internal Trade Department show clear signs of rising chicken prices. Chicken drumsticks, which were selling for Bt80-Bt85 per kilogramme at the start of March, began rising from March 9 and have now reached Bt90-Bt95 per kilogramme. Chicken thighs have also increased from Bt85-Bt100 to Bt95-Bt100 per kilogramme.

Pork prices have risen even more sharply, with lean pork reaching as high as Bt165 per kilogramme. In fresh markets, lean pork has climbed from Bt145-Bt150 per kilogramme at the beginning of March to Bt150-Bt165 as of March 20, marking an increase of Bt5-Bt15 per kilogramme.

Egg prices have also moved higher. Size 3 eggs, which are among the most commonly consumed, rose on March 16 from Bt3.5-Bt3.6 per egg to Bt3.7-Bt3.8, or an increase of 20 satang each, equivalent to Bt6 per tray. However, small retail shops have already been selling eggs for more than Bt4 each, adding to the burden on households that rely on eggs as a daily staple.

“Although the Commerce Ministry has insisted that no controlled goods have been approved for price increases, figures from the Internal Trade Department and the Office of Agricultural Economics paint a clearly different picture,” a source said.

Consumers at several fresh markets said the prices they are actually paying are higher than those announced by the authorities, and urged the relevant agencies to investigate and tackle the problem seriously before the cost-of-living burden becomes unbearable for low-income households.

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40064128

[Gaybutton]

You know what I think will happen, even long after the war ends, to prices that went up? Will Rogers said it best:

"What goes up must come down - except prices."