Thailand’s inflation rate has continued to recede, with the latest rate hitting a 16-month low at 2.67%, while prices of many items have however increased.
Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) director Poonpong Naiyanapakorn said the inflation rate is expected to decrease further in May to below 2%, in line with retail pricing of products used for the calculation, and lower year-on-year fuel prices.
TPSO will continue to monitor risk factors that may affect the inflation rate, including the high cooking gas price, the drought disaster affecting agricultural produce, and the recovery of the tourism sector that may affect the prices of goods and services.
From its latest round of monitoring, TPSO has reported a price increase of 334 articles of goods and services from 430 being monitored. These include electricity, diesel, and cooking gas; while prices of 58 articles including vegetable oil, pork, and cabbage have decreased.
Compared to other economies, the TPSO chief said the March inflation rate in Thailand was the 14th lowest among 133 economies, and the lowest among 7 ASEAN countries that disclosed their inflation figures, namely Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. (NNT)
