BANGKOK, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's manufacturing sector improved for the first time in three months in May as new orders returned to growth, leading to a robust increase in production, a survey showed on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian country's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 51.2 last month, up from 49.5 in April, marking the strongest upturn so far this year and signaling an improvement in operating conditions, according to S&P Global.
A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.
Despite increased workloads, outstanding orders declined as production growth accelerated to a nine-month high in May. Meanwhile, purchasing activity slowed because of sufficient inventories, although stocks of both pre-production and finished goods rose, S&P Global said in a statement.
It was positive to see manufacturers expanding their workforce and accumulating input stocks in response to the rising new work, said Jingyi Pan, economics associate director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
While sentiment in the Thai manufacturing sector dipped to its lowest level in 2025 so far, it remained high compared to past trends, suggesting that output growth is likely to continue in the coming months, Pan said. ■
