Industry confidence hits another low | Bangkok Post: news

Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) for November went down to 87.5, the lowest in 29 months, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) reported.

Federation of Thai Industries chairman Payungsak Chartsuthipol (POST PHOTO)

FTI chairman Payungsak Chartsuthipol said the TISI was down from 89.0 reported on October, a continuous decline for six straight months.

Factors that hurt the industry confidence included the decline in total sales, production output and the increasing cost of raw materials due to the impact of the great flood, he said.

Supply of auto-parts had been shortened because a large number of suppliers were inundated and transportation networks had been cut by the floods, he said.

Even though the floodwater had largely receded, investors were still concerned about the government’s plans to rebuild the country and to prevent a recurrence of the flood, said Mr Payungsak.

The FTI chief said that TISI figures below the 100-level show that manufacturers have less confidence.

The negative factors influencing manufacturers were slow global economic expansion,  increasing global oil prices, the ongoing political conflict and increases in loan rates, he added.