BANGKOK: Consumer prices rose for the first time in 16 months in April, driven by more expensive food, fuel, farm products and cigarettes. The Commerce Ministry said Monday consumer prices based on 450 products and services edged up 0.07% year-on-year last month, with the monthly rate up 0.55% from March.
Somkiat Triratpan, director of the Commerce Ministry’s Office of Trade Policy and Strategy, said prices of meat and fresh vegetables surged in April because of lower supplies caused by widespread drought, while prices in the transport and communication sectors increased after retail fuel prices were adjusted up by 1.79% last month.
Core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, was 0.78% on an annual basis in April and 0.14% on a month-to-month basis. In the first four months of the year, consumer prices fell by 0.35% year-on-year.
Core inflation was 0.70% for the same period. “With steady core inflation rates in the first four months, we expect inflation from now on is unlikely to be lower than previous months in line with higher oil price prospects,” Mr Somkiat said. “We expect inflation to pick up further in the third and fourth quarters of the year.”
