Phuket's bar proprietors, beer suppliers and drinkers scoffed today at reports of a 'Beer Drought' as Phuket's shelves were largely restocked after flood alert panic buying. As with most items, some brands of beer remained available virtually everywhere. Tesco-Lotus in Phuket City was very different this afternoon to a week ago, when hoarders were stripping shelves. With the exception of bottled water, the supermarket was fully stocked, although with different brands for some items.


PHUKET: Fresh food prices have mostly returned to normal on Phuket after the increases of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival earlier this month, market stallholders in Phuket City say.

The news will come as a relief to authorities concerned about the pressure on supplies and prices caused by the floods in Bangkok.

In a Phuketwan survey at the fresh market in Phuket City yesterday, stallholders said that pork, chicken and other meat remained at ''sensible'' prices.

Seasonal supplies of some vegetables had inflated prices a little, but most of the staples were actually cheaper now than during the Vegetarian Festival.

Supplies of eggs and chicken for Phuket mostly come from Phang Nga, so these had not been affected by floods or supply line problems, vendors said.

Much of Phuket's other vegetable produce was grown north of the floods zone, and that too had not been a problem to source so far.

One basic that the Phuket market stallholders said was difficult to come by and rising in price was milk, which is used locally in drinks and the making of roti.