Thailand bucks peers as consumer prices drop for 3rd month in row

Energy subsidies keep inflation down while core CPI ticks up

Outside Bangkok's Siam Paragon shopping mall. Consumer prices are edging up, mostly due to weather and the high cost of producing some fresh foods. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writer

January 5, 2024 14:53 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand's consumer price index declined from a year earlier for the third straight month in December, making the Southeast Asian economy an outlier in the region.

Headline inflation for the month came in at minus 0.83%, down from minus 0.44% in November and minus 0.31% in October, according to data released on Friday. Excluding energy and food, the price index ticked up 0.58%, unchanged from the previous month.