Vegetable Prices Surge in Nakhon Ratchasima Amid Floods
Vegetable prices in Nakhon Ratchasima have risen sharply, with morning glory hitting the highest cost due to the upcoming vegetarian festival and flood‑damaged farmland. Vendors report reduced supply and fluctuating prices for other vegetables like chili and coriander. Authorities are releasing water from the Phimai Dam to mitigate further flooding in the area.
On 1 October 2069, reporters visited the Phimai City Fresh Market in Nakhon Ratchasima and found that several vegetables had seen significant price increases. Vendor Chaliaw SoPhimai, 58, explained that the rise is due to the imminent vegetarian festival and continuous heavy rain causing floods that have submerged agricultural fields, rotting vegetables and making them unfit for harvest. As a result, market supply is low, especially for morning glory, which is in high demand for the festival; its price has jumped from 20 baht per kilogram to 40 baht per kilogram. Chili prices fluctuate daily between 70 and 80 baht per kilogram. Another vendor, Suphawadee Theprat, 62, who sells noodles in Nikhom, Phimai, said she now buys only the vegetables she needs to avoid spoilage, noting that coriander has risen from 100–120 baht per kilogram to 150 baht per kilogram. Meanwhile, the Phimai Dam on the Mun River is at 93.87% of its capacity, prompting officials to open spillways to discharge water downstream and prevent flooding of local economic areas and historic sites.
