BANGKOK, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's headline inflation continued its decline for a ninth straight month in December 2025, primarily due to reduced energy prices in line with global market conditions, official data showed on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian country's consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.28 percent last month compared to a year earlier, decelerating from a 0.49 percent decrease in November, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The ministry attributed the slower contraction rate to increased prices in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, while electricity and fuel prices continued to fall along with key non-food items.
Core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food and energy prices, rose 0.59 percent year-on-year in December, slowing from a 0.66 percent gain in the month earlier.
In 2025, the headline CPI shrank 0.14 percent over the previous year, said Nantapong Chiralerspong, director general of the ministry's Trade Policy and Strategy Office.
The headline CPI is projected to continue its downward trend in the first quarter of 2026, owing to lower oil prices compared to the same period last year, coupled with weak economic demand due to the absence of stimulus measures during the election period, Nantapong told a news conference.
Looking ahead, the situation is expected to improve, supported by government economic measures after the election, recovery in the tourism sector, and accelerated disbursement of public expenditure, the official noted.
For the whole of 2026, the ministry maintains its headline inflation forecast to range between 0 percent and 1 percent. ■
