TISI peaks in 42 months

BANGKOK, July 18 (TNA) - The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) reports that the Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) in June 2018 moved up to its peak in 42 months, buoyed by sale promotional campaigns of various sectors during the recent 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. FTI Chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree told journalists of the update on Wednesday, based on the result of FTI's latest survey on the confidence in the Thai economy of industrialists in various sectors. Supant stated that TISI in June stood at the 91.7 level, from the 90.2 level a month earlier, representing its peak level since January 2015. The FTI chief attributed the TISI peak to sale promotional activities by, in particular, the domestic manufacturing industries of food, clothes and electrical appliances. Besides, the steadily recovering world economy has boosted Thai exports, observed by rising purchasing orders for Thai products by importing economies despite domestic business operators' concerns over an unbalanced growth of the national economy, unstable world oil prices and competing prices by rival exporting economies. According to the FTI chairman, the anticipated TISI over the next three months, based on last month's latest survey, should stand at the 102.7 level, from the 101.6 level surveyed in May. However, the FTI chairman noted that most industrialists were concerned over negative impacts from the ongoing trade war between the United States and major trading partners and a rising trend of interest rates, which could affect their costs. The FTI chief quoted the industrialists as calling for the Thai government to speed up spending on public infrastructure investment projects in provincial areas to boost local economy and to promote the consumption of locally-produced goods and raw materials to support local producers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). (TNA)