The government has insisted that overall product prices are unlikely to rise much despite an increase in the fuel tariff (Ft) rate for May to August.
Mrs Nuntawan says Ft rate rise will increase overall product prices only slightly.
Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, director-general of Internal Trade Department, said the rise in Ft may affect product prices in several categories, including food and beverage, daily consumer items, transport, construction materials and agricultural products, but the impact is estimated to be 0.002-0.266% of overall product costs.
The department cited a recent in-house survey that found product prices unchanged. Eggs, for instance, still cost 2.70-2.80 baht each on average, chicken costs 75-80 baht a kilogramme and cooking palm oil 38-40 baht a litre.
Mrs Nuntawan said the department expects overall consumer product prices to remain stable for some time, as prices of key imported raw materials stay unchanged while the baht appreciates and makes imported products cheaper.
However, she admitted production costs and retail prices of overall products may have to increase as fuel oil prices increase further.
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) warned last week electricity bills are set to rise throughout 2017 because of rising natural gas and oil prices.
Natural gas accounts for almost 70% of Thailand's power-generating resources, and price rises normally lag global oil prices by 6-9 months.
Gas prices will start to affect power bills from the second period (May to August). Gas prices rose by 9.35 baht per million British thermal units (BTU), or 4% from the previous January-April period, to 244.58 baht per BTU.
An Ft rate hike of 12.52 satang per kilowatt-hour for May to August was approved by the ERC.
Power bills are set to increase by 17.83 satang per kWh, but the ERC said the rise in the Ft was offset by a drop in gas prices due to a maintenance shutdown during the previous period, keeping the increase at 12.52 satang per kWh.
The new Ft rate combined with a base factor for May to August means the average increase for all categories of power users (businesses, residences and public services) of 3.508 baht per kWh, up from 3.38 baht in the first period.
The average monthly power bill in the residential sector will increase by 3.7% or 16.50 baht for consumption of 124 kWh, some 477 baht. Residential users make up almost 90% of power users.
The ERC predicts the Ft rate will continue to increase gradually until early next year.
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