BANGKOK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's industrial output grew at the strongest rate in a year in April, thanks to a rebound in automotive production and government stimulus measures, official data showed on Friday.
The Southeast Asian country's manufacturing production index (MPI) rose 2.17 percent in April compared to a year earlier, up from a revised 0.05 percent increase in March, according to the Ministry of Industry.
Expansion in the automotive industry, which was driven by vehicle production to fulfill customer orders from an earlier motor show, was a key supporting factor, said the ministry's Office of Industrial Economics Director-General Passakorn Chairat.
The government's cash handout program, the relaxation of housing loan regulations, and the interest rate cut also help recover the factory output, Passakorn told a news conference.
For the first four months of 2025, the MPI shrank 0.75 percent year-on-year, Passakorn said.
He noted that U.S. tariff measures, high household debt, sluggish consumption recovery, and a slowdown in private investment are projected to put downward pressure on industrial output.
The ministry has downgraded its MPI growth forecast this year to 0 percent to 1 percent from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent expected earlier. ■