BANGKOK, June 28 — Thailand’s Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) fell by 3.88 per cent in May year-on-year, mainly owing to a drop in automobile production and a lack of auto parts, according to the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE).
OIE director-general Suttinee Poopaka on Tuesday told a press briefing that vehicle production in the previous month dropped by 32.5 per cent while auto sales shrank by 33.3 per cent.
Ms Suttinee explained that auto component manufacturers in Japan were damaged by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami and were unable to ship their usual high-technology output to Thailand-based carmakers. Therefore, Thailand’s auto manufacturers had to temporarily slash production.
However, two key vehicle manufacturers resumed their normal production and operation at the end of May.
Overall car production in Thailand is expected to return to normal in the third quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, hard disk drive production and sales rose by 0.2 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively in May year-on-year, the first rise since December 2010.
Regarding canned and frozen seafood, production and sales were down 1 and 4 per cent respectively as the volume of tuna fish was slim and its price was higher.
In addition, the size of shrimps did not reach the standard for the market and the number of shrimps declined due to the southern floods in March.
Textile production and sales in May shrank by 8.5 and 18.7 per cent respectively owing to both higher and fluctuating prices of cotton which is the main material. (MCOT online news)
