world-economy

Thailand's Inflation Cools for Third Consecutive Month

Thailand's inflation rate dropped to 1.95% in July, marking the third consecutive month of easing price pressures. This moderation strengthens the central bank's rationale for maintaining its current monetary policy stance and provides flexibility to support broader economic growth. Regional peers have shown mixed responses to their own inflation dynamics. The Philippines similarly experienced a third month of cooling price growth in July, allowing its central bank to pause rate decisions while evaluating recent tightening measures. Meanwhile, Madagascar became an outlier, hiking rates for the first time in over a year as geopolitical tensions prompted policymakers to adopt a more hawkish stance. Central banks across major economies remain divided on optimal policy paths.