Officials Inspect Religious Goods Shops Ahead of Buddhist Lent
Officials are inspecting religious goods shops ahead of Buddhist Lent on July 29–30 to prevent price gouging on items like alms sets and ceremonial candles. Initial checks in Bangkok show retail prices remain stable despite rising productio
Jirawut Suvannaaj, deputy director-general of the Internal Trade Department, announced that with Asahna Bucha and the start of Buddhist Lent approaching on July 29–30, 2026, authorities are stepping up inspections to prevent price gouging on popular religious items including monastic alms sets, traditional Thai robes, and lent candles that devotees offer to monks.
Inspections conducted in Bangkok found that retail prices for these items remained stable compared to the same period last year, with no unjustified increases despite rising production costs. Some merchants have opted to change brands or adjust product quantities and sizes rather than raise prices. Current prices for alms sets range from 40 to 4,500 baht per set depending on contents, plain lent candles from 70 to 2,500 baht per pair, and carved candles from 130 to 3,900 baht per pair.
Sellers reported lower sales this year due to economic conditions, with consumers choosing smaller sets or purchasing items separately, and some opting for temple-prepared sets or electric lights instead of candles. Suvannaaj emphasized that merchants must display clear price tags listing each item's specifications, quantity, unit price, and packaging costs in font sizes of at least 16 points. He urged the public to contact the Internal Trade Department hotline 1569 with any complaints about unfair pricing.
