BANGKOK, 1 May 2011– Thailand’s inflation rate, or Consumer Price Index (CPI), for May 2011 increased by 4.19% year-on-year and 0.34% from the previous month as a consequence of higher prices of food and energy, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce Yanyong Puangrach reported that the inflation rate for May stood at 112.39 while the rate for the first five months of this year or from January to May 2011 rose by 3.45%.
Mr Yanyong further reported that the national core CPI for last month, excluding fresh food and energy, stood at 106.08, increasing by 2.48% year-on-year and 0.46% month-on-month. Moreover, the core CPI for the first five months expanded by 1.79%.
The permanent secretary elaborated that the higher inflation rate was influenced by the rising food and energy prices, indicating that the higher prices of agricultural products had contributed to the increasing income and purchasing power of farmers.
