BANGKOK: Thailand’s deflation continued for the 15th straight month in March despite a slight recovery in oil prices, the Commerce Ministry said Friday.
The country’s headline consumer price index dropped 0.46% in March from the previous year, easing slightly from the 0.50% on-year fall in February, data from the ministry showed. However, the March CPI edged up 0.21% from the previous month, accelerating from a 0.15% on-month rise in February.
Thailand’s March core inflation reading, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was 0.75% on-year and 0.01% on-month. The core CPI result almost matched the poll’s forecasts for a 0.8% on-year rise and a 0.05% on-month increase. The Commerce Ministry has projected Thailand’s 2016 inflation to be in a range from zero to 1.0%.