BANGKOK – The Industry Ministry has reported that Thailand’s manufacturing production index (MPI) in January rose to 101.82 from 96.03 points in December, driving the highest export growth in 29 months.
Office of Industrial Economics (OIE) Director-General Thongchai Chawalitpichaet said the second wave of the pandemic during December 2020 to January 2021 affected the economy only for a short time.
According to the OIE, plastic bead manufacturing, which increased by 10.8% year-on-year, was among the industries that boosted the MPI due mainly to work-from-home guidelines that stimulated demand for packaging products.
Factory utilization also increased to 66.41 per cent, boosting hopes of a manufacturing recovery following Covid-19 prevention measures and the arrival of Thailand’s first vaccine shipment on Wednesday. (NNT)
