Thai March inflation beats forecast, still at 13-year high

Necessary steps: The scene at a restaurant in downtown Bangkok. The Thai government’s measures to counter inflation include price controls on essential goods. — AFP

BANGKOK: Thailand’s headline consumer price index (CPI) jumped by a higher-than-expected 5.73% in March from a year earlier, the fastest pace in 13 years, driven by stronger prices of goods and energy, the commerce ministry said yesterday.

That compared with a forecast for a rise of 5.60% in a Reuters poll and followed February’s 5.28% increase, breaching the top end of the central bank’s target range of 1% to 3% for a third straight month.