BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's headline inflation rate turned negative for the first time in 13 months in April, driven by falling energy and food prices, official data showed on Tuesday.
The Southeast Asian country's consumer price index (CPI) dipped 0.22 percent in April from a year earlier, reversing from a 0.84 percent increase in March, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The April reading came in below the central bank's target range of 1 percent to 3 percent for the second straight month.
The core CPI, which excludes raw food and energy prices, rose 0.98 percent year-on-year in April, quickening from a 0.86 percent gain in the previous month, said Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director general of the ministry's trade policy and strategy office.
For the first four months of 2025, the headline CPI grew 0.75 percent compared to the same period in 2024, Poonpong told a news conference.
He noted that headline inflation in May is expected to remain near the previous month's level, possibly declining for the second consecutive month, due to lower global crude oil prices, the government's measures to reduce living costs, and increased supply for fresh vegetables. ■
