Thai authority:Consumer goods prices become stable

BANGKOK, September 15 (TNA) - Amid complaints by the public over rising costs of living, Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach says that goods prices on the domestic market appear to become more stable now. Yanyong told reporters, citing a latest survey by his ministry's Department of Internal Trade, that overall production costs of food, beverages, construction materials, petroleum and other necessities did not change last week, leading to more stable prices of consumer products on the domestic market. Yanyong noted that the domestic prices of some consumer goods, especially those of pork, had even steadily dropped over the past several weeks, by 2-3 baht per kilogram, making retail prices of pork now stand around 130-135 baht per kilogram. For chicken eggs, Yanyong acknowledged that traders have agreed to sell their fresh eggs through the government-sponsored "blue flag" outlets, which sell mostly consumer goods, including bagged rice and cooking oil, at reasonable prices to help consumers, particularly those with low income. According to the deputy commerce minister, about two million chicken eggs are expected to be sold out nationwide over the next couple of weeks through the government-supported "blue flag" program; so, their prices are expected to return to normal by the time. In Thailand, the prices of chicken eggs are considered a barometer of people’s costs of living. The deputy commerce minister announced that Internal Trade Department officials are also surveying cooked food prices sold at small restaurants or vendors to ensure that they do not cause hardships to local consumers by unfairly inflating their prices. (TNA)