Outrageous Chicken and Pork Prices!

by **semperfiguy** » May 11, 2011, 10:49 am

Has anyone noticed how chicken and pork prices have escalateded dramatically in the past few months? Before Christmas I purchased deboned chicken breasts at Big C or Tesco for as little as 50 Baht per kilo on occasion, but on the average 65 Baht. Yesterday I couldn't find chicken breasts at Big C, and just the thighs were 100 Baht. I used to buy a lesser expensive cut of port for 100 Baht per kilo, and yesterday it was up to 125 Baht. I can't believe that vendors can raise their prices nearly double and there is not a public outcry. In other countries there would be people marching in the streets. What's going on here in Thailand? Are packing plants using the same excuse as fruit and vegetable growers for raising prices...floods in the South. Looks like most manufacturers can get on that same band wagon and get away with it. Or "why don't we blame it on rising oil prices"...and get away with that. Anybody else have a take on this, and what is your prediction for future prices...up or down a bit in the short term?

by **Prenders88** » May 11, 2011, 10:57 am

Animal feed prices have gone through the roof, perhaps that's the reason for increased chicken and pork prices.

Still cheap compared to the UK, when I went back for a visit last year to Londonistan two rank looking chicken fillets were 300 baht for two.

by **jackspratt** » May 11, 2011, 10:58 am

I believe it's known as supply and demand, in a free market economy.

Prices go up - people buy less - prices go down.

As an American, I would have thought you would be applauding, rather than decrying. :-k

by **parrot** » May 11, 2011, 12:57 pm

I was ready to pack the bags and get the ox-cart out of dodge yesterday when I saw the price of my bowl of soup was going up 14.29% (price-of-soup-t21203.html)
But then I realized that's the first price increase in my soup in probably 7 or more years. The price of our favorite lahb also went up....again, first price increase in a verrrrry long time.

Might as well get over it, semperfi........if you think prices aren't going up by leaps and bounds (or sizes getting smaller) back in the US, then you're dreaming. Next time you indulge in a kilo of pork or beef at the market, consider how a Thai family who's earning peanuts pays to feed their family.......it'll make the price increase easier to digest. For the record, the last substantial price increase in food prices (in Thailand) was in Apr-Jun 2008. Many prices are fixed by the government (meats, milk, cooking oil, etc).......just like that 30.60 diesel price you've been paying for the past few months.....it's subsidized by the government.........and when that subsidy is removed, watch your wallet, because the price will shoot up to market levels. Enjoy the cheap ride while you can!!

by **augustus_777** » May 11, 2011, 2:13 pm

Hi there, thank you for nice post!. I seriously have been complained about this since last year and in my opinion I think the price will continue to increase. I remember went back to Thailand around the end of last year, and I almost everyday went to my local market in Ammper Pakkad, Nongkhai. At the first day, I bought one kilogram bag of rice (three children brand) cost 34 bath, two days later I went back to the same shop and this time I paid 37 bath, and the third time which is my last time in that store I paid 39 bath for a one kilogram bag of rice, so I decided to asked the owner how come the price keep increasing daily? the answer was because the price of the gasoline has gone up, so it make the price of supply gone up too. I told her that I saw she has the same amount of supply (rice) on the shelf since my first visit at her shop, and I told her that I don't think that she orders new supply everyday so how come the cost of supply that she already have has to increase as the price of gasoline increase... She didn't answer me, instead, she gave me a dirty look. It was really pissed me off. However, during that visit to Thailand I have shared this experience to my family and friends and they all think the same way that I do, that is the hard time is coming.

Anyway, a month ago I read the Thai news about the price of food such as, sugar, pork, chicken,eggs, rice, cooking oil, ect. will keep going up because supply/demand issue, also the government gave the reason for the increasing in price of meat product or any product from animal ( eggs, milk, etc.) as because " the climate change affects the animals' life".
P.s forgive me for my poor English.

by **Bandung_Dero** » May 11, 2011, 3:15 pm

Yet on a lighter note the price of a box of Leo has only gone up 5 Baht to 485 here in Ban Dung over since July 2009 with the last tax hike. There certainly is a Buddah, no problem with supply and I guess demand remains at a status quo!

by **Khun Paul** » May 11, 2011, 3:41 pm

It is called inflation and cost of living rises due to ever increasing production and delivery costs....LIVE WITH IT , don't like it bugger orf !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by **JimboPSM** » May 11, 2011, 7:06 pm

It appears to me that there is a correlation between the rise in prices in commodities in Asia and QE (and equivalent measures) that took part in the UK, US and Europe in an attempt to offset the impact of the financial meltdown.

In my opinion a significant part of the QE money provided by Western Central Banks to help Western financial institutions immediately made its way out of the West to Asia where it could make bigger returns than in the West and this consequently has helped to fuel Asian domestic inflation in ways that are now becoming all too apparent (Note: one of the most basic inflation definitions is “too much money chasing too few goods”).

Well intended as QE was, unfortunately, once it was issued the Central Banks had little or no control on how or where it ended up being used – Asia is, in my opinion, a victim of part of the unintended consequences of Western QE.

Inflationary pressures in Asia may be reduced when (or if?) the Western Central Banks ever get round to starting to unwind QE.

by **GARYZX6R** » May 11, 2011, 8:00 pm

People marching in the streets cause chicken has gone up ! In UK ,no chance everything goes up by the day there ,all people do is complain,nothing happens. Bit like on here ! :-"

Still cheap here so look on the bright side.

by **nkstan** » May 12, 2011, 6:32 am

I agree with Jimbo,unwind QE!Austerity does wonders for the battle against inflation,but then I expect then we will be crying like little spoiled children! :lol:

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