| THAI TRADE DEFICIT WIDENS IN FIRST QUARTER | |
| Thailand's trade deficit widened to 4.5 | |
| billion baht in the first quarter of 1987 from 2.1 billion a | |
| year ago, the Business Economics Department said. | |
| It said Janunary/March imports rose to 65.1 billion baht | |
| from 58.7 billion. Thailand's improved business climate this | |
| year resulted in a 27 pct increase in imports of raw materials | |
| and semi-finished products. | |
| The country's oil import bill, however, fell 23 pct in the | |
| first quarter due to lower oil prices. | |
| The department said first quarter exports expanded to 60.6 | |
| billion baht from 56.6 billion. | |
| Export growth was smaller than expected due to lower | |
| earnings from many key commodities including rice whose | |
| earnings declined 18 pct, maize 66 pct, sugar 45 pct, tin 26 | |
| pct and canned pineapples seven pct. | |
| Products registering high export growth were jewellery up | |
| 64 pct, clothing 57 pct and rubber 35 pct. | |