BANGKOK, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's headline inflation rate slowed in March, driven by rising food and energy prices, official data showed on Friday.

The Southeast Asian country's consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.84 percent last month from a year earlier, easing from a 1.08 percent increase in February, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The March reading came in below the central bank's target range of 1 percent to 3 percent after staying within the range for three successive months.

The core CPI, which excludes raw food and energy prices, rose 0.86 percent year-on-year in March, softening from a 0.99 percent gain in the previous month, said Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director general of the ministry's trade policy and strategy office.

For the first quarter of 2025, the headline CPI grew 1.08 percent compared to the same period last year, Poonpong told a news conference.

He noted that the headline inflation growth for the second quarter is expected to decelerate compared to the previous three months due to the government's measures to reduce the cost of living, increase agricultural yields, and lower crude oil prices. Enditem

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