M   O   C           N   E   W   S

Consumer Price Index and Core Consumer Price Index

  November  2008

      From the prices of goods and services surveys of 374 items all across of the country, covering food and beverages, clothing, housing and furnish, health and personal care services, transportation and communication, recreation and education, etc, The Ministry of Commerce reported movement of on headline Consumer Price Index and core Consumer Price Index of Thailand in November 2008 as follows:
1. Headline Consumer price Index in November 2008
       As of the base year (2002=100), the headline CPI in November 2008 was 121.5 and in October 2008 was123.0
      
       2. The percentage change of the headline CPI in November 2008, compared with
       2.1. October 2008 (month on month), declined by 1.2
       2.2. November 2007 (year on year), rose by 2.2
       2.3. Average rate on the first eleven months of 2008 (Jan.-Nov.), compared with the same period in 2007, climbed up by 5.9
      
       3. Headline CPI in November 2008, compared with October 2008 fell at a similar rate to the preceding month by 1.2 percent due to the continued decline in prices of domestic gasoline in line with global oil prices. However, prices of fresh vegetables rose after heavy flood, while prices of white rice, glutinous rice and fresh fruits decreased.
       3.1. The index for food and beverages group picked up by 1.0 percent. This was primarily caused by 17.7 percent increase in the index of fresh vegetables (i.e. kale, chinese cabbage, cabbage, morning glory, coriander, lemon and shallot), resulting from heavy flood in several cultivated areas. The index of fish and aquatic animals, milk and dairy products (i.e. fresh milk, powdered milk and yogurt) and non-alcoholic beverages (i.e. chocolate drinks, soft drinks and fruit juices, etc.) also went up by 0.5, 0.6 and 0.4 percent respectively. However, the index of fresh fruits (i.e. orange, grapes, apple and guava), rice flour and cereal products and fat, oil and seasonings (especially vegetable oil) dropped by 5.2, 2.2 and 2.2 respectively.
       3.2. The index for non-food group decreased at a greater pace by 2.9 percent. This was mainly due to the continued deceleration in global oil prices, resulting in the fall in domestic retail gasoline prices by 17.1 percent. In addition, the reduction in fares of Bangkok bus, provincial bus and mini bus caused the fall in the index of public transportation services by 3.3 percent. Meanwhile, the index of cleaning supplies (i.e. detergent, fabric softener) and personal care expenditures (i.e. soap, shampoo, powder, moisturizer and men hair cut) rose by 0.6 and 0.4 percent respectively.
      
       4. Headline CPI (year on year basis) compared with November 2007 climbed up by 2.2 percent. This was primarily resulted from 15.4 percent increase in the index of food and beverages group. The main components are the acceleration in the index of vegetables and fruits, rice, flour and cereal products, seasonings and condiments, meats, poultry and fish, eggs, prepared food and dairy products accounted 27.0, 22.9, 14.6, 13.4, 10.5 and 9.6 percent respectively.
       For non-food and beverages group, the index fell by 5.9 due to the decrease in the index of transportation and communication group and housing and furnishing group by 9.1 and 7.7 percent respectively.
      
       5. Average Headline CPI in the first eleven months of 2008 (Jan.-Nov.) went up by 5.9 and the main factors were the surge in gasoline prices by 23.0 percent. The index for food and beverages group jumped up by 11.4 and the index for non-food group increased by 2.6 percent.
      
       6. Core Consumer Price Index (computed from 266 items of goods and services) is the headline CPI, excluding fresh food and energy group, totaled 108 items. These exclusion items account 24 percent of total expenditure.
       Core CPI in November 2008 was 108.3, compared with
       6.1. October 2008, declined by 0.3
       6.2. November 2007, increased by 2.0
       6.3. Average rate on the first eleven months of 2008 (Jan.-Nov.) compared with the same period in 2007, rose by 2.5
      
      

    

  Consumer Price Index and Core Consumer Price Index
  November   2008  
(2002=100)  

Code
Group and Subgroup
Relative Importance of base year
Index
Average Index
Percentage change
 Nov. 08
Oct.08
Nov.07
Jan.-Nov.08
Jan.-Nov.07
Nov. 08/
Oct. 08
Nov.08/
Nov.07
 Jan.- Nov.08/
Jan.- Nov.07
0000
  ALL COMMODITIES
100.00   
121.5
123.0
118.9
123.7
116.8
-1.2
  2.2
  5.9
1000
  FOOD AND BEVERAGES
  36.06   
145.0
143.5
125.7
137.6
123.5
  1.0
15.4
11.4
1110
       RICE, FLOUR AND CEREAL PRODUCTS
  2.68   
165.9
169.6
135.0
161.3
131.9
-2.2
22.9
22.3
1120
       MEATS, POULTRY AND FISH
  5.32   
141.6
141.1
124.9
138.4
122.5
  0.4
13.4
13.0
1121
       MEATS
  2.17   
137.1
137.0
116.8
136.9
114.2
  0.1
17.4
19.9
1122
       DUCK, CHICKEN AND FROG
  .86   
143.7
142.8
127.9
140.6
121.0
  0.6
12.4
16.2
1123
       FISH AND AQUATIC ANIMALS
  2.29   
145.0
144.3
131.4
139.1
130.9
  0.5
10.4
  6.3
1130
       EGGS AND DAIRY PRODUCTS
  2.23   
130.6
130.3
119.2
127.0
114.2
  0.2
  9.6
11.2
1140
       VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
  4.77   
260.8
247.6
205.4
229.6
200.4
  5.3
27.0
14.6
1150
       SEASONINGS AND CONDIMENTS
  1.79   
132.8
133.9
115.9
129.0
113.3
 -0.8
14.6
13.9
1160
       NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
  1.55   
114.3
113.8
109.5
111.6
108.1
  0.4
  4.4
  3.2
1200
    PREPARED FOOD
  17.71   
118.7
118.7
107.4
114.6
106.5
  0.0
10.5
  7.6
1210
       PREPARED FOOD AT HOME
  7.03   
123.7
123.7
110.5
119.1
109.4
  0.0
11.9
  8.9
1220
       FOOD AWAY FROM HOME
  10.68   
115.9
115.9
105.9
112.0
105.0
  0.0
  9.4
  6.7
2000
  APPAREL AND FOOTWARE
  3.40   
101.5
101.5
101.1
101.4
101.0
  0.0
  0.4
  0.4
3000
  HOUSING AND FURNISHING
  23.86   
  95.3
  95.4
103.3
100.6
103.4
 -0.1
-7.7
-2.7
3100
    SHELTER
  16.74   
  99.4
  99.4
  98.9
  99.2
  98.8
  0.0
  0.5
  0.4
3110
       HOUSE RENT
  16.25   
  99.1
  99.1
  98.8
  98.9
  98.7
  0.0
  0.3
  0.2
3200
    ELECTRICITY, FUEL AND WATER SUPPLY
  5.10   
  72.3
  72.8
114.5
  99.4
115.7
 -0.7
-36.9
-14.1
3300
    TEXTILE - HOUSE FURNISHING
  .18   
101.1
101.1
100.8
100.9
100.6
  0.0
  0.3
  0.3
3600
    CLEANIMG SUPPLIES
  1.39   
124.4
123.6
113.1
118.1
112.8
  0.6
10.0
  4.7
4000
  MEDICAL AND PERSONAL CARE
  6.04   
108.4
108.2
106.7
107.6
106.6
  0.2
  1.6
  0.9
4100
    MEDICAL CARE
  2.36   
107.8
107.8
107.2
107.5
107.0
  0.0
  0.6
  0.5
4200
    PERSONAL CARE EXPENDITURES
  3.25   
109.1
108.7
106.5
107.8
106.4
  0.4
  2.4
  1.3
5000
  TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION
  21.98   
124.3
133.8
136.7
141.6
130.9
-7.1
-9.1
  8.2
5100
    PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
  4.51   
137.0
141.7
145.7
145.4
143.7
-3.3
-6.0
  1.2
5200
    VEHICLES AND VEHICLE OPERATION
  10.59   
136.7
154.2
157.7
168.3
146.6
-11.3
-13.3
14.8
5400
    COMMUNICATION AND EQUIPMENTS
  5.59   
  91.7
  91.7
  91.9
  91.8
  92.1
  0.0
 -0.2
 -0.3
6000
  RECREATION AND EDUCATION
  5.82   
106.2
106.3
105.3
106.0
104.4
 -0.1
  0.9
  1.5
7000
  TOBACCO AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
  2.83   
114.0
114.0
112.6
113.6
110.3
  0.0
  1.2
  3.0
8000
  NON-FOOD AND BEVERAGES
  63.94   
108.0
111.2
114.8
115.7
112.8
-2.9
-5.9
  2.6
9000
  RAW FOOD AND ENERGY
  24.05   
162.5
167.8
158.2
172.3
151.4
-3.2
  2.7
13.8
9100
    RAW FOOD
  15.00   
181.4
177.6
150.8
169.1
147.0
  2.1
20.3
15.0
9200
    ENERGY
  9.05   
131.3
151.4
170.3
177.5
158.6
-13.3
-22.9
11.9
9300
    EXCLUDE RAW FOOD AND ENERGY
  75.95   
108.3
108.6
106.2
108.1
105.5
 -0.3
  2.0
  2.5
footnote : The core consumer price index is the consumer price index excluding raw food and energy items.    

Directed by Trade and Economic Indices Bureau, Ministry of Commerce Tel. 662 507 5846-55 Fax. 662 507 5825
Hotine : 662 5077000  http://www.price.moc.go.th Select to subject Consumer Price Index