Thailand's headline inflation rate fell for a fourth consecutive month in July, driven by falling food and energy prices, official data showed on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian country's consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.7 percent last month from a year earlier, accelerating from a 0.25 percent decrease in June, marking the steepest decline in sequence, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The July reading came in below the central bank's target range of 1 percent to 3 percent for the fifth straight month.
The drop mainly stemmed from reduced prices of gasoline, diesel, electricity, and fresh produce, rather than demand-related factors, said Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director general of the ministry's trade policy and strategy office.
Core inflation remained elevated and consistently rose, showing no signs of deflation, Poonpong told a news conference.
Core CPI, which excludes raw food and energy prices, rose 0.84 percent year-on-year in July, slowing from a 1.06 percent gain in the previous month and indicating the softest growth in six months.
Poonpong noted that headline inflation in August is expected to remain near the previous month's level due to lower global crude oil prices, the government's measures to reduce living expenses, and increased supply for fresh vegetables and fruits.
For the first seven months of 2025, the headline CPI grew 0.21 percent compared to the same period last year, he said.
The ministry maintained its headline inflation forecast to range between zero percent and 1 percent in 2025.