BANGKOK (Aug 30): Thailand's manufacturing production index (MPI) rose for the first time in three months in July due to stronger exports, tourism and public spending, the industry ministry said on Friday.

The MPI increased 1.79% in July from a year earlier, beating a forecast fall of 0.7% in a Reuters poll, following a revised annual decline of 1.63% in June.

"This month is a good month, with the MPI up 1.79%, so we see a fairly good recovery signal," Krit Chansuwan, deputy director general of the Office of Industrial Economics, told a press conference.

He said August output was expected to rise following higher imports, which he said was a good sign for future manufacturing and exports.

Factory output for the January-July period contracted 1.48% from a year earlier. The ministry maintained its forecast for output to rise between 0% and 1% in 2024.

Commerce Ministry data earlier this week showed exports in July rose 15.2% from a year earlier, the biggest rise in more than two years, with imports up 13.1% on the year.

Foreign visitors to Thailand so far this year have reached 23.1 million, up 32% from the same period a year earlier, according to the tourism ministry. There were nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019, before the pandemic.

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