Cost of food rising?

[matthew80]

My wife in Ratchaburi tells me that the cost of basic food items has risen dramatically: chicken, pork, vegitables, etc. Has anyone in Huahin noticed a big rise in the cost of food bought at markets, grocery stores or roadside vendors?

[DawnHRD]

Haven't noticed hugely with local items, but imported goods like butter/margarine, cheese etc have risen sharply in price lately.

Oh, and the 50kg bags of rice that we buy for the dogs keep rising by 50 bt every few weeks. I thought that was just the vendor scamming us because I'm farang, though...

[JD]

The cost of pork, chicken etc.. has risen by about 5 - 10baht a kilo over the last month or so, expect this to drop to normal prices again just after Chinese New Year. Happens every year around this time, also get your supplies from the market in before 6th of this month, the 7th and 8th will see many market holders with little or no stock left until after that date.

[crazy88]

Worst time of year to buy gold as well .

Crazy88

[sandman67]

I was reading an article on the Beeb new website yesterday about the Thai rice market....

seems all the surrounding countries like Vietnam, Indonesia etc have had a bad year for rice, whereas Thailand has had a good year, and so the export market is booming - which means prices are rising for rice both on the export and domestic markets.....

maybe that has an effect on the food market prices.

so much for the "poor" rice farmers eh?

Also maybe the strong baht and relatively weak pound/dollar drives up import costs for import foodstuffs,....

doesnt effect me as I seem to live on Noodle Soup and beer...

economics was never my best subject as school....

[lomuamart]

Must admit that I havn't noticed too much difference, although prices are certainly going up.
I thought that was probably more down to the price of oil and therefore distribution costs?
I'd reckon that the two of us probably spend 5% more on food than we did last year. Mind you, that's buying at local markets and cooking at home, although we don't scrimp on food. My waistline these days is testament to that.

[STEVE G]

It’s definitely an improving situation for the agricultural sector; prices are being driven up by demand for crops such as cassava and cane sugar that can be used for ethanol production and increasing demand from rising markets in countries like China.
It certainly helps people in rural areas and hopefully no Farangs are actually starving to death in Tesco’s yet.

[Vital Spark]

Too right prices are rising.

Went for our now bi-weekly shop in Hua Hin today and butter is now 55 baht a pack. Four years ago it was around 40 baht. Sunflower oil - 65 baht (I'm sure it was around 48 baht a month or so ago). The price of cheese has gone through the roof. Why?

It's not only 'farang' products that have gone up. I spoil my dogs with 'Three Ladies' tinned mackerel. Most of the locals buy it for their main meal to eat with their rice (plus various green bits picked from the roadside). It was around 11 baht a can not so long ago, now it's 15 baht a can. I agree with Dawn that the price of rice keeps creeping - or galloping - up. And that must really be hurting the poorer Thais.

I hear what you say about the agricultural sector Steve, but what about those Thais who aren't farmers. Dole Thailand, who is the local employer in our area, certainly haven't increased their daily wage for employees. A twelve-hour shift for a measly 167 baht. Add on to that the increase in petrol prices over the past year and they're barely surviving.

I guess someone, somewhere, is making a boat-load of money...

VS