UTCC: Chinese mid-year festival 2012 likely to boost public spending by nearly 8%

BANGKOK, August 30 (TNA) - A new survey has shown that public spending during the Chinese mid-year festival in Thailand will likely reach some 27 billion baht, about 7.8 per cent increase from last year. The centre's director, Thanawat Polvichai, told journalists today that his centre's latest behavioral survey for this year's Chinese mid-year festival on 2,400 random samples has also found that most products have become more expensive, prompting consumers to buy more chicken and duck as a substitute of pork. Thanawat said the respondents have also urged the government to contain the rising goods prices on the domestic market and to maintain social order during the festival. According to the survey, most of the respondents now prefer to shop at fresh markets or modern supermarkets with more varied products, better facilities and food safety standards, rather than traditional groceries. The centre, meanwhile, predicted that the retail business in Thailand will generate up to 145 billion baht this year, some 7 per cent year-on-year increase. (TNA)