BANGKOK, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's industrial output grew in September, as global demand for electronics tied to artificial intelligence and data centers, along with government stimulus, supported production, official data showed on Friday.
The Southeast Asian country's manufacturing production index (MPI) rose 2.05 percent last month from a year earlier, slowing from a revised 4.20 percent increase in August, according to the Ministry of Industry.
The index stood at 101.37 in September, with capacity utilization at 60.58 percent, up from 59.83 percent in August.
The MPI is now compiled with a chain-link method, which the ministry's Office of Industrial Economics (OIE) adopted to follow United Nations recommendations.
This approach allows the index to more quickly reflect changes in the industrial production structure and to keep pace with shifts in technology and global demand, said OIE director-general Supakit Boonsiri.
The government's co-payment scheme kept supporting consumer spending, which helped food, beverage, and packaging producers. A cut in electricity tariffs for September to December also lowered costs for businesses and households, Supakit told a news conference.
The biggest gains in September came from electronic components and circuit boards, communications equipment, and computers and peripherals, he said, adding that declines were led by refined petroleum products, primary plastics and synthetic rubber, and vehicles.
Supakit also warned that the Middle East conflict still threatens energy and shipping costs. Manufacturers may struggle to pass higher costs on to customers, which could squeeze margins and erode competitiveness. ■