News Forum - Health dept’s reply to rising food costs: ‘let them eat curry & rice’

[Thaiger]

The Health Department’s “Let them eat curry and rice” response to Thailand’s cost of living crisis is not quite Marie Antoinette’s ‘Let them eat cake’ quip to the starving peasants of France in the 17th century, but it’s not far off. The Thai Health Department urged people to buckle their belts and accept the fact that consumer products are more expensive now. A nutritionist and advisor at the Health Department, Sanga Damapong, acknowledged yesterday that the increasing price of consumer products affects those on low incomes but added that people need to change their attitudes to survive, think carefully before […]

The story Health dept’s reply to rising food costs: ‘let them eat curry & rice’ as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[KaptainRob]

Eating more rice isn't the answer so I doubt Sanga's 'nutritionist' qualifications.  Especially since the main protein, eggs and meat when added to curry or noodle dishes are the more expensive component.  Eggs and meat, especially pork have increased more than just a few satang.

Rural folk consume far too much rice, IMO, and their staple protein comes from local freshwater fish, free if they have the resources and relatively inexpensive to buy.

Vegetables have increased in price and will go higher due to lack of supply caused by flooding in many production regions of Thailand and China.

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

You can buy rice and curry in that budget.”

Rice and curry 3 times per day would be pretty damn boring in the long term, not to mention the malnutrition it'll cause. Then again, some seems to be able to survive on Mama's 3 times per day, year in year out

[Pompies]

Never mind the curry suggestion the real issue is the condescending attitude behind this whole statement. If you earn 500 baht a day you don't need to be told how to budget because normal life means counting every satang. The spokesman can't even get his maths correct either so he obviously cannot budget. The people don't need paper pushers like him to talk down to them, they need direct assistance from the government and not in the form of price controls which benefit the wealthy as well as the starving but in supplemental income for those who actually need it to survive.

[HolyCowCm]

Well, at least he didn't say shut up and eat your fish sauce dry chili with your rice and go pick what ever you can off the side of the road with road kill only a bonus for the lucky ones. What an arse. And speaking of arse, I know what he can suck.

 

 

[Loong]

Quote

“If you get paid 500 baht per day, the expense on food should be 120 baht per day which is 30% of the income. To eat three meals a day, a meal should cost 40 baht each. You can buy rice and curry in that budget.”

What are his suggestions for single parents earning 300 Baht/day with 2 teenage children (school children so no income)?

[Fanta]

16 minutes ago, Loong said:

What are his suggestions for single parents earning 300 Baht/day with 2 teenage children (school children so no income)?

Contraception. 

[Giltee]

Once again someone working for the government with their high wages and perks that’s out of touch with reality.