Commerce Ministry to expand price-controlled list by 12 items to ease cost-of-living pressure

Thailand’s Commerce Ministry is preparing to expand its list of price-controlled goods by a further 12 items, in a move aimed at protecting consumers and easing cost-of-living pressures amid volatile input costs.

The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) said it will propose the additions to the Committee on the Price of Goods and Services, which would increase the total number of controlled goods from 59 to 71, with most of the new items expected to be products used in daily life.

Wittayakorn Maneenetr, director-general of the DIT, said the ministry is closely monitoring prices of consumer goods. Among the existing 59 controlled items, he said only eight currently require prior approval before any price increase, while 22 require businesses to notify prices. Some items also require notification when goods are moved or transported. He said these measures are being used alongside broader government policy tools.

The ministry has already moved to tighten controls on six essential household items—toilet paper and tissues, shampoo, laundry detergent and cleaning liquids, dishwashing products, sanitary pads and soap—by shifting them from notification-only rules to requiring approval before any price increase.

He said the list of items requiring prior approval is now expected to be expanded further to around 13 items, pending consideration by the committee before any official announcement.

Separately, the DIT is preparing to propose adding about 12 new controlled goods beyond the original list, bringing the total to 71 items, with a focus on essentials to allow tighter oversight when costs are fluctuating.

The Commerce Ministry said it aims to finalise the full list promptly and will submit the proposal to the committee—chaired by the Commerce Minister—for consideration on Wednesday, March 25, in order to strengthen and broaden the effectiveness of price-control measures.