The Bangkok Post says so.
According to a story in today’s paper, the prices of commodities like meat and eggs has actually been falling over the last year, and fuel prices are now lower or slightly higher than they were this time last year.
But vendors, anticipating Thailand’s coming minimum wage increase, have been increasing their prices.
The Post reports:
People across the country are being squeezed in the economic vice of rising inflation and stagnant incomes.
Just one year ago, a simple dish of khao kaeng (rice with one side dish) was 25 baht, but today some street vendors, shop-house stalls or food courts are selling it at 40 baht.
According to the latest Abac poll, almost 64% of people say they are more concerned with what to eat than with any political conflicts that might result from charter amendments.
My experience is that dishes in my neighborhood have not, in fact, been increasing in price drastically. However, I have noticed a slight decline in the quality and quantity of dishes.
(For the record: In the chart above, when you figure that $1 is about 30 Thai baht, we’re still talking about dishes that are, by Western standards, quite cheap.)
(All emphasis mine.)
Post story via Terry Fredrickson.
(Image: Bangkok Post.)