Valentine’s roses leap in price this year

Roses are red
Violets are blue
A red rose used to cost 15 baht
Now it’s 52!

The price of roses has spiked to almost double from that of the past two years. The popular Valentine’s gift was retailing for up to 70 baht each, a substantial increase from last year’s 50 baht average around Bangkok.

In Bangkok, flower vendors at Pak Khlong Talad wholesale market hiked the prices for local roses to 30-150 baht depending on the grade, and for imported roses to 300-2,000 baht, with those from the Netherlands, Kenya and Japan carrying higher tags because of their large size and bright colour.

The price hike was due to higher costs demanded by suppliers as well as increased transport expenses, they said. Fewer people had showed up to shop for roses this year, possibly due to the economic slowdown, they said.

Flower shops in Phayao’s Muang district say they had received fewer orders for rose bouquets compared to the two previous Valentine’s Days.

Having seen a 50 per cent drop in rose bouquet orders, Sasirpreeya Songsi, owner of Sasi Florist Shop in tambon Ban Tom, said suppliers were selling roses at nearly double the price of recent years for 300-350 per bunch.

Vendors at Phayao Arcade Market said they sold roses at 10-20 baht apiece, but were carrying a limited number to sell due to their supplier’s price hike. They slightly increased the price to 20-30 baht today to ensure no losses, but recognised that people may not be able to buy them if the cost went beyond this range.

In Chiang Mai’s Muang district, many people showed up to shop for flowers at Ton Lam Yai Market where vendor Ploenjai Janthaen said red and white roses were most sought after. Individual roses carried a tag of 70 baht, compared to last year’s 50 baht, while rose bouquets ranged from 300-2,000 baht and special mixed-colour roses fetched 150 baht apiece.

SOURCE: The Nation