BANGKOK, 02 April 2014 – The Ministry of Commerce has revealed that the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 2.11% in March due to increases in prices of food and energy, resulting in the index for the first quarter of the year rising by 2.00%.
Core CPI stood at 104.22, increasing by 1.31% from March 2013 and 0.08% from February 2014. In all, core CPI rose by 1.19% in the first quarter this year.
Amphawan Phichalai, Commerce Ministry advisor, explained that higher raw material cost had pushed up the prices of ready-made food. Pork price had also risen due to the very hot weather causing pigs to eat less and grow more slowly. She noted, however, that consumer spending was still at a good and stable level. As for the inflation rate, the Ministry of Commerce expects 2014 inflation to be between 2.00% and 2.80%.
Ms. Amphawan elaborated that the 0.45% rise of the sub-index for food and non-alcoholic drinks can be attributed to the higher prices of lime, Chinese kale, Napa cabbage, Mandarin orange, coconuts and pineapples.
