BANGKOK: Thailand’s industrial output fell again in February compared to the same period a year ago, as exports and domestic consumption remained weak. However, the contraction was less than expected.
The country’s Industry Ministry said today that its Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) dropped in February by 1.62 percent from the year before, smaller than 2.55 percent drop that news agency Reuters predicted in a poll.
In January this year, output fell a revised 3.5 percent on the full year. Industrial products accounted for 83 percent of the country’s exports in February, which grew 10.3 percent from the year before due to “unusual items”, i.e. large gold shipments and helicopters that were brought in earlier for military exercises.