Bangkok: In January, Thailand’s manufacturing production index decreased by a less than anticipated 0.85 percent from the previous month, which was helped by government stimulus measures, despite a persistent decline in car output, according to the industry ministry’s Friday ( Feb 28 ).
The MPI reading was in contrast to a Reuters poll that had predicted a collapse of 2.55 percent for January, and it came after a sharply revised annual decline of 1.8 % the previous month.  ,
The MPI increased 8.7 % from December, the government said, marking the first regular increase in three times, despite the MPI contracting for a seventh consecutive quarter in January on a yearly basis.
” It is a great start to the year and we hope the commercial production index did grow throughout the year”, Passakorn Chairat, head of agency’s commercial finance department, told a press conference.
Stock production is expected to rise in February as federal stimulus actions are supporting trust, investment and consumption, he added.
The government maintained its forecast for an output increase of 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per share this time, after last year’s 1.79 per cent fall.
Stronger imports and commerce, as well as the main company’s latest interest rate cut are also friendly, Passakorn said.
The manufacturing business, however, was still weighed down by a fall in car manufacturing, poor private consumption due to high household debt and increased competition from Chinese goods, the ministry said.
Car production in Thailand, a regional automaking centre, fell in January for an 18th consecutive month, plunging more than 24 per cent on a yearly basis.
In an effort to revive an industry that has experienced its biggest crisis in decades, Thailand is currently in discussions with automakers about a car trade-in and scrapping scheme.  ,  ,  ,  ,