BANGKOK, 29 October 2013 The Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) dropped 2.9 percent in September compared to the same period in the previous year, while the index in the first nine months saw a drop of 1.9 percent year-on-year.
Manufacturing Production Index in the month of September, according to the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE), stood at 172.7, which accounted for a 2.9 percent decrease. September is the sixth consecutive month Thailand has seen a drop in its MPI.
According to OIE Director General Somchai Harnhirun, the MPI in the first nine months of 2013 accounted for a 1.9 percent drop compared to last year’s figure. As a result, the OIC will, in November, readjust its MPI anticipation, which is likely to be around 0 percent growth or even a minus, said the director. The earlier projected MPI growth target was 4 percent.
Mr. Somchai said the main factor contributing to the decrease was the automobile industry, which shrank 8.67 percent in the third quarter, adding that other industries affecting the MPI were canned seafood, beers, processed chicken, and electric appliances.
