Thailand's Chinese New Year Festival approaches, consumer goods prices remain stable

BANGKOK, February 14 (TNA) - As the Chinese New Year Festival comes next week, Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya has ordered his ministry's officials to constantly check consumer goods prices at local markets, while a senior official says goods prices remain stable so far. Somchart Sroythong, the ministry's chief inspector-general, told journalists on Saturday (Feb 14), after inspecting food prices at Wong Wian Yai market in Bangkok, that prices of meat and vegetables remained stable on the approaching of the Chinese New Year Festival, which starts on February 17 until the coming weekend. Somchart revealed that vegetable prices have even declined by 10-20 per cent due to the favorable weather and oversupply and he believed the prices would increase slightly before the Lunar New Year celebrations start. Meanwhile, the commerce minister ordered his ministry's high-ranking officials nationwide to inspect goods prices on regular basis to prevent market profiteering, vowing that profiteers would each face a maximum seven-year imprisonment or a fine of 140,000 baht or both. (End)