BANGKOK, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's business sentiment rose slightly in March due to improved confidence primarily in manufacturing across various sectors, data released by the central bank showed on Monday.

According to the Bank of Thailand (BOT), the Southeast Asian country's business sentiment index (BSI) was recorded at 49.6 last month, up from 48.8 in February, attributed to improvements in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors.

The manufacturing index increased across several sectors, particularly in the rubber and plastic industries, thanks to China's restocking of rubber products and rising demand for packaging products for consumer goods, the BOT said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the non-manufacturing index marginally improved, mainly driven by the wholesale trade sector's performance sub-index.

The three-month expected BSI came in at 51.9 in March, down from 53.5 a month earlier, on the back of worsening confidence in production, total order books, and performance, the BOT said.

The reading was based on a survey of 765 respondents from large and medium-sized firms, the central bank said. Enditem

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