The Ministry of Commerce has announced a fresh set of measures to ease the cost of living, increasing the number of controlled goods to 71 and requiring prior approval for price increases on 21 products.
Nantapong Chiralerspong, director of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office and ministry spokesman, said on Wednesday that authorities had stepped up nationwide monitoring of prices and consumer conditions.
Between March 5 and 24, inspection teams conducted checks at 2,726 locations across 16 provinces, including 1,650 petrol stations, 569 fertiliser outlets and 507 retail markets, he said.
Fourteen violations were recorded in nine provinces under the Price of Goods and Services Act, largely involving failure to display price labels. Offenders have been formally charged and fined, he said.
Meanwhile, 372 complaints were lodged via the Internal Trade Department’s hotline. Investigations found 14 cases of missing price tags, three instances of incorrect pricing and one of unclear labelling. No wrongdoing was found in 119 cases, while 235 remain under review. A further 33 complaints alleging excessive pricing are being assessed against verified cost structures.
Mr Nantapong said separate inspections in Bangkok and its surrounding areas found that overall product supply remains adequate and prices broadly stable, particularly for ready-to-eat meals such as noodles and rice dishes.
However, some increases have been observed in pork, chicken and eggs, reflecting higher production and transport costs. Packaging materials, notably plastic bags, have also become more expensive due to supply chain pressures.
In response, the ministry plans to expand its “Blue Flag” programme to increase access to discounted essential goods, while scaling up “Green Flag” initiatives aimed at lowering fertiliser costs through greater funding, wider coverage and more frequent rollouts.
A complementary “Thai Help Thai” scheme will link large and small enterprises to help stabilise prices of essential goods through negotiated oversight.
