Wednesday 26 October 2011

Phuket Food Shortages and Price Rises

Tesco Lotus fruit section at 10am this morning
I've just got back from 4 days on a liveaboard so I've been out of touch with the news.

On returning I find that the flooding in Bangkok and central Thailand has got worse and produce supply lines have been disrupted. Phuket residents are stocking up on essentials and shops are struggling to meet the demand.

Tesco Lotus shelves were almost bare this morning for many goods including fresh fruit, rice, bottled drinking water, UHT milk, condensed milk, toilet rolls and babies nappies. Lotus was rationing customers to a maximum three of each item.

Prices are expected to rise for all the items that are in demand. Inflation is already high in Thailand. Expect your holiday beer to cost a bit more this year.