BANGKOK, 3rd January 2018 (NNT) - The Ministry of Commerce indicated that the headline consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.78 percent in December 2017 from a year earlier to stand at 101.37 points.

The Director-General of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, Pimchanok Vonkorpon, said the CPI in November 2017 went up 0.99 percent year-on-year. As a result, the annual headline CPI saw an 0.66 percent increase.

The Ministry of Commerce has forecast that the inflation rate for 2018 will range between 0.6 and 1.6 percent, while gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow by 3.5 to 4.0 percent this year.

Global oil prices are expected to drop by 50 to 60 US dollars per barrel, while the Thai baht is expected to fall within 33 to 35 baht per US dollar.

Last year, the cost of living of people in Thailand slightly increased from 2016, while the purchasing power did not improve substantially.

National News Bureau Of Thailand | Commerce Ministry: Inflation up 0.78% in December