December inflation rose 0.87% year-on-year, a five-month high, largely on rising food prices.
Pimchanok Vonkornporn, director-general of the Commerce Ministry's Trade Policy and Strategy Office, said on Thursday that the consumer price index for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 1.73%. It resulted primarily from the 8.75% surge in the price of rice, flour, and flour products.
The index for meats, poultry and fish increased 2.21%, owing to higher demand for year-end celebrations and stricter controls against African swine fever.
The price index for eggs and dairy products (chicken eggs, milk and yogurt drink) rose 2.29%. The cost of non-alcoholic beverages (carbonated, sugary and chocolate drinks) rose 1.86%, because of the tax increase on sugar content since October.
On a month-on-month basis, the CPI in December 2019 rose 0.01%. The index rose, on average, 0.71% for 2019. The largest upward contribution came from food, especially raw and processed food, due to shorter supply, while demand was largely unchanged, Ms Pimchanok said.
In 2020, oil prices were expected to be stable, alongside gradually increasing prices of food and other goods and services, she said.