Weak April export, output data for Thailand

BANGKOK: Thailand’s trade shrank in April and factory output fell for a 13th straight month, underscoring the damage political unrest has caused and the tough job the new military government faces reviving an economy that contracted in the first quarter.

The army, which seized control of the country on May 22, has begun a battle to restart government spending and lift domestic demand in a bid to keep Thailand from falling into recession with a second straight quarterly contraction.