BANGKOK, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's headline inflation continued to decline for an 11th straight month in February, mainly driven by lower energy prices and government cost-of-living reduction measures, official data showed on Thursday.

The Southeast Asian country's consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.88 percent last month compared to a year earlier, accelerating from a 0.66 percent decrease in January, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The February reading was the sharpest drop in the sequence, keeping headline inflation well below the central bank's target range of 1 percent to 3 percent.

Core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food and energy prices, increased 0.56 percent year-on-year in February, edging down from a 0.6 percent rise in the month before and registering the smallest gain since July 2024.

For the first two months of 2026, the headline CPI contracted 0.77 percent compared to the same period last year.

Rising tensions in the Middle East are expected to have a significant impact on the headline CPI starting in March, said Nantapong Chiralerspong, director-general of the ministry's trade policy and strategy office.

Global crude oil prices are projected to rise as a result of military operations and attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz, which have already raised freight rates, Nantapong told a news conference.

Headline inflation this year could increase within a range of 1 percent to 3 percent, depending on the extent of conflict in the Middle East, he said. ■