The Ministry of Commerce is capable of keeping the inflation rate within the set framework for the year, at 3.3-3.8 per cent, permanent secretary for commerce Yanyong Phuangrach said on Thursday.

Current prices of food were not higher than last year. The prices of some food products, for example red pork,  meat, had gone down, said Mr Yanyong.

He said people should not worry about changes in food prices.

The permanent secretary said his ministry will announce a suggested ceiling price of 30 baht for seven basic food dishes in 38 provinces as soon as possible.

The ministry’s Internal Trade department plans to publish the ceiling price for the seven dishes in these provinces, where it was discovered they cost more than 10% of total daily earnings with average prices over 30 baht.

The dishes are: rice soup, rice with sweet stewed egg, fried rice with pork or chicken, fried rice with pork or chicken with basil, rice with minced-pork omelet, rice and curry, and noodles with pork or chicken.