However, he said, the manufacturing costs have been on the rise, and manufacturers should be allowed to adjust their retail prices to survive otherwise only big manufacturers will be left.

In a bid to survive, he said, instant noodle manufacturers will meet with the Internal Trade Department on Tuesday to find a solution because they cannot shoulder surging costs anymore.

He said it would be reasonable to increase the price of instant noodles by a baht or two, especially since the production costs have been rising. The price of instant noodles has remained unchanged for several years.

He added that if the government continues delaying the price adjustment, then manufacturers will need to find other solutions, such as discontinuing some products or creating new products with new prices. Eventually, he said, it is the consumer who will be affected.

Somchai also said manufacturers were also hit by hidden costs like product placement and management fees. Hence, he said, instead of targeting the retail price, the government should control these hidden costs instead.