Thai CPI Rises

Thailand’s annual headline consumer prices rose less than expected in April, government data showed on Monday, giving policymakers room to keep monetary policy loose to aid economic recovery, Reuters reported. Headline consumer prices rose for a 13th straight month in April, up 0.38% from a year earlier, its slowest pace in six months, compared with the 0.71% rise forecast in a Reuters poll. In March, consumer prices rose 0.76% from a year earlier. The government predicts that headline inflation will be 1.5-2.2% this year while the Bank of Thailand forecasts 1.2%, within its target range of 1-4%.