BANGKOK, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's business sentiment weakened in March, mainly driven by the non-manufacturing sector, due to the impact of the Middle East conflict, data from the central bank showed on Wednesday.
According to the Bank of Thailand, the Southeast Asian country's business sentiment index (BSI) stood at 47.7 last month, plunging from 49.6 in February, as most components declined, led by total order books and costs.
The non-manufacturing index declined in most businesses, especially in the hotel and restaurant sectors, where sentiment fell to an eight-month low, the central bank said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the manufacturing index also slipped across several industries, led by plastic pellets and packaging, as the shipping disruptions of the Strait of Hormuz pushed up energy prices, affecting transportation costs and feedstock imports for plastic production.
The three-month expected BSI came in at 44.2 in the March survey, plummeting from 52 a month earlier and retreating to below the 50-point threshold as all components dropped, reflecting concerns about a potentially prolonged situation in the Middle East.
The reading was based on a survey of 649 respondents from large and medium-sized firms. ■