The government has added bottled drinking water and seasoning sauces to its price-control list, along with plastic pellets, in order to prevent undue price increases in light of cost pressures arising from the Middle East war.
The controls will be in effect for one year, according to the announcement from the Central Committee on the Prices of Goods and Services, signed by Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun and published in the Royal Gazette on Saturday.
The committee made the decision on March 25 following an assessment of the conflict in the Middle East, the announcement said.
The war has impacted energy and raw material costs, particularly in the petroleum and packaging industries. As a result, officials wanted to prevent profiteering and unfair pricing, sales conditions and trade practices.
Producers of goods on the price-control list must seek prior approval from the Department of Internal Trade by providing details of their costs if they want to increase prices.
For plastic pellets, the controls cover polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and PET resins, which are widely used in packaging such as plastic bottles.
The Ministry of Commerce recently expanded its price-control list from 59 items to 71. Most are essential food, agricultural products and household goods, and are strictly monitored to manage inflation and the cost of living.
