BANGKOK, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's leading business group on Wednesday raised its 2026 economic growth forecast to 2.4 to 2.6 percent, up from 2.1 to 2.5 percent, as revised factory data shows manufacturing has been expanding.
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking (JSCCIB) said the revised Manufacturing Production Index rose 2.6 percent in the first nine months of 2026, while the old index had shown a contraction.
Factory output of technology goods jumped 18.9 percent in the same period. The committee said the increase matches the earlier rise in foreign direct investment and this year's strong exports.
It also lifted the export growth outlook to 18 to 22 percent, from 12 to 16 percent, and cut its inflation projection to 2.1 to 2.5 percent, from 2.5 to 3.0 percent.
The committee called for spreading the gains from the booming sectors by creating jobs for Thai workers and using local supply chains and urged steps to make lagging businesses more competitive. ■
