BANGKOK, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's business sentiment climbed in November due to increased confidence in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, the central bank said on Monday.
According to the Bank of Thailand, the Southeast Asian country's business sentiment index (BSI) was recorded at 49.3 last month, up from 47.0 in October as most of the components improved.
The manufacturing index picked up across most sectors, led by the plastic and rubber industries, where respondents expressed a notable improvement in confidence in total order books and production, the central bank said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the non-manufacturing index saw a substantial jump, especially in the hotel and restaurant sectors, thanks to a significant influx of long-haul tourists during the peak tourism season.
The three-month expected BSI dropped to 51.3 in November from 52.4 a month earlier, owing to a decline in performance, production and cost sub-indices as respondents' confidence in the manufacturing sector remained relatively stable, while that of the non-manufacturing sector decreased in nearly all businesses.
The reading was based on a survey of 709 respondents from large and medium-sized firms. ■
