Thai Dec inflation quickens to 0.87%, slightly below forecast

[BANGKOK] Thailand's consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.87 per cent in December from a year earlier, quickening from the previous month but slightly below expectations, commerce ministry data showed on Thursday.

A Reuters poll had forecast the CPI would rise 0.9 per cent year-on-year after November's 0.21 per cent increase.

The headline inflation remained below the Bank of Thailand's target range for a seventh straight month.

The annual core inflation rate was 0.49 per cent in December, slightly below a forecast of 0.5 per cent and against November's 0.47 per cent.

In 2019, headline inflation was 0.71 per cent and core inflation was 0.52 per cent.

The commerce ministry forecast headline inflation of between 0.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent for 2020.

REUTERS