Thailand's consumer confidence continues to improve in December

Bangkok (Thailand), January 7: Thailand's consumer confidence index rose to 47.0 in December, up from 45.2 in the previous month, marking a growth for five consecutive months due to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and return of international tourists.According to a report released on Thursday by the Trade Policy and Strategy Office under the Ministry of Commerce, the growth was largely a result of the increasing economic activities in the Southeast Asian country, expansion of exports and continuous improvement in the COVID-19 situation.The report also said the consumer confidence improvement was seen across the board, led mainly by the capital Bangkok and its vicinity, followed by provinces in north and central areas.Officials noted in the report that a close monitoring of developments related to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is strongly needed.The efficiency and effectiveness of government response measures to an Omicron outbreak will be the main factor that determine the level of consumer confidence in the coming months, the report added.Source: Xinhua