Thailand’s headline CPI rises unexpectedly in April, ends slump.

Commerce Ministry officials in Thailand announced today that the country’s headline consumer price index (CPI) experienced a year-on-year increase of 0.19% this April.

This is a notable shift from the previous month’s 0.47% year-on-year decrease and considerably exceeds the 0.25% fall projected by a Reuters poll. Such a rise in inflation after a seven-month negative streak indicates a significant change in economic trends.

Thailand’s core CPI in April, which excludes the variable food and energy prices, also recorded a rise of 0.37%. The Director of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, attributed this upturn to several factors. These include a low base for electricity prices in the previous year, an increase in agricultural prices, and a weak baht.

Despite the recent rise, this April marks the 12th…