Yingluck has said the government will buy unmilled grain from farmers at 15,000 baht ($502) a ton at harvest in November, above current market rates of 9,900 baht. With Thailand the world’s biggest exporter, that may raise rice prices across a region that accounts for 87 percent of global consumption. The leader presented her economic policies to Cabinet yesterday and is scheduled to announce them publicly by Aug. 24.

“High rice prices will translate into higher inflation pressures in Asia, at a time when most inflation readings are flirting near the higher end of central-bank target or forecast ranges,” said Chua Hak Bin, a Singapore-based economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “Once the global backdrop stabilizes, inflation could come back strongly.”

The acceleration of policies to boost consumption in Thailand risks complicating monetary policy across Asia, as soaring food costs add pressure for higher interest rates while the region braces for a growth slowdown. South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines have left borrowing costs unchanged in recent weeks, while China, India and Thailand raised rates in July to tame inflation.