BANGKOK, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's headline inflation rose sharply in October, driven mainly by soaring fuel costs as the energy crisis in the Middle East continued, as well as higher food prices due to floods, official data showed on Friday.
The Southeast Asian country's consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.9 percent last month from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The October figure pushed inflation above the central bank's target range of 1 percent to 3 percent for the first time since February 2023.
Fuel prices surged 29.18 percent year-on-year and accounted for about 56 percent of headline inflation, the ministry said in a statement. It pointed to higher global oil prices after attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil production facilities, as well as a low base from a year earlier.
Flooding in major vegetable-growing areas also pushed fresh vegetable prices up 17.34 percent.
Core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food and energy prices, climbed 1.58 percent year-on-year in October.
For the first 10 months of 2026, headline CPI grew 1.77 percent from the same period last year.
Looking ahead, the ministry expects headline inflation to stay positive in November. It flagged persistently high global energy prices, rising costs of prepared meals and transportation, and weather conditions that could affect some farm prices.
The ministry said government energy measures, its own price monitoring, and receding floods should help ease price pressures.
It kept its forecast for headline CPI growth this year at between 1.8 percent and 2.2 percent. ■