Thai Oct exports seen rising 4.5 percent year on year - Reuters poll

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: A view of the port of Bangkok, Thailand May 26, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's customs-cleared annual exports is expected to have risen 4.5 percent in October, a Reuters poll showed, rebounding from a surprise 5.2 percent contraction in the previous month.

Imports in October likely increased 6.8 percent from a year earlier, after rising 9.9 percent in September, according to the median forecast of 13 analysts in the poll.

Thailand likely recorded a deficit of $190 million in October, the poll showed, compared with September's surplus of $490 million.

The commerce ministry said last month it still expected exports - a key driver of growth - to increase 8 percent this year, after rising 9.9 percent last year.

On Monday, the state planning agency cut its 2018 export growth estimate to 7.2 percent from 10 percent.

(Reporting by Orathai Sriring and Khushboo Mittal in BENGALURU, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)