BANGKOK, 14 May 2012 – Prime Minister’s Office Minister Nalinee Taveesin has said that the school uniform prices have been adjusted only slightly from last year’s, citing that the prices outside of Bangkok were expensive because of the rising transportation costs.
Ms Nalinee visited one of the largest garment markets in Thailand, Bobae, to inspect the prices of school uniforms ahead of the beginning of the school session. She said the uniform shirts are priced at 60-75 baht depending on the quality, adding that the prices have only increased by around four baht from that of last year.
As for the prices in upcountry, which are higher than Bangkok’s, the minister explained that sellers have to transport the products from Bangkok to sell in other provinces; given they have to pay for the transportation costs, the uniform prices have to be increased by 10-20 baht each, which is considered low.
Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom has also agreed that the uniform costs have not risen as much as feared, indicating that the 300-baht minimum wage policy does not create much impact on school uniform production costs.