Thailand’s Commerce Ministry Maintains Price Controls for 55 Items

Thailand’s Commerce Ministry has retained its price control on 55 products and service items including medical face masks, a synthetic fiber used as a raw material to make medical face masks, alcohol and alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and recyclable paper.

The meeting of the Central Committee on the Prices of Goods and Services chaired by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit on Wednesday decided to maintain the price control list for 55 items, 50 of which are products and five services. The list is scheduled to be proposed for cabinet approval next week.

According to Mr Jurin, the committee also agreed to a maximum retail price for medical face masks of 2.50 baht apiece, excluding face masks made of cloth. The government has adopted a policy to promote people using cloth  masks instead of medical face masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

He said measures to regulate face masks will be identical to existing ones, which require manufacturers, distributors, exporters and importers to inform Thailand’s Internal Trade Department of the production cost, price, production volume, export and import volume, stocks and price labels.

Those who export more than 500 pieces need to gain prior approval from the department.

The price control list covers essential items for daily use such as food, consumer products, farm-related products (fertilisers, pesticides, animal feed, tractors, rice harvesters), construction materials, paper, petroleum and medicines.

Listed foods include garlic, rice paddy, milled rice, corn, eggs, cassava, wheat flour, powdered/fresh milk, sugar, vegetable/animal oil and pork.

Source: Bangkok Post