Explain why costs are up, Democrats say

Democrat Atavit Suwannapakdee said the Yingluck government had run the country for two years and the country’s economic indicators have all shown negative results – such as rising public and household debt and price rises.

He said the government had decided to increase the price of three major items yesterday that would further push up the cost of living: LPG has risen from Bt290 per 15 kg cylinder to Bt380; electricity prices have increased seven satang per unit (meaning families who use about 500 units would have to pay Bt40 more each month); and the expressway toll has been increased by Bt5.

“Today is Bad Day or an unlucky day for Thais because it is the day we must significantly shoulder higher costs of living,” he said.

Atavit quoted the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting that since the Yingluck government took office in 2011, household debt has jumped from Bt159,432 to Bt188,774 in 2013. The Public Debt Management also showed that public debt in the first quarter of 2011, which stood at Bt4.2 trillion, jumped to Bt5.2 trillion in the second quarter of 2013, increasing by Bt1 trillion.

“These figures do not include the Bt2 trillion in debt that the government wants to push for the development of infrastructure,” he said.

Democrat Bangkok MP Sansern Samalapa said the Bank of Thailand pointed out that the country’s economic indicators for every sector all show negative results, except the tourism sector. 

“The downtrend will continue into August because of the negative momentum. We urge the government not to manage the economy by lip service or by giving lame excuses...” he said.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the party would assign MPs on Monday to explain to the |public about the price increases of LPG, electricity and expressway tolls.