Bangkok: The Consumer Council is pressing the government to take urgent action in curbing excessively high prices, expressing concern that businesses might exploit the situation by attributing increased costs to "energy costs."

According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Sareee Ongsomwang, Secretary-General of the Consumer Council, has warned that the government needs to address the escalating cost of living crisis that is emerging due to rising energy prices. She highlighted the likelihood of businesses swiftly raising prices, citing increased fuel and transportation costs, which would particularly affect processed foods, agricultural products, construction materials, and transportation fares. Ms. Ongsomwang observed that in past energy crises, prices surged immediately within weeks, yet when energy costs declined, prices either reduced slowly or not at all, directly impacting consumer finances.

The Consumer Council has put forward recommendations for the government to enhance regulatory measures. This includes potentially expanding the list of controlled goods beyond the current 50 items and reforming the energy pricing structure to ensure transparency and fairness. They also urged a thorough investigation into the true structure of transportation costs to prevent unjustified price hikes surpassing actual costs. The Council stressed that if regulatory mechanisms are ineffective, this energy crisis could evolve into a severe and prolonged cost of living crisis for consumers across the nation.