BANGKOK, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's headline inflation rate dropped for a seventh straight month in October, driven by government economic measures along with declining food and energy prices, official data showed on Wednesday.

The Southeast Asian country's consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.76 percent last month compared to a year earlier, slightly accelerating from a 0.72 percent decrease in September, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The October reading remained well below the central bank's target range of 1 percent to 3 percent for the eighth month in a row.

The drop was primarily due to the government's initiatives to reduce living costs, coupled with global energy market conditions, which resulted in falls for both electricity and fuel prices, the ministry said in a statement.

Core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food and energy prices, rose 0.61 percent year-on-year in October, edging down from a 0.65 percent increase in the previous month and marking the softest growth since last July.

For the first 10 months of 2025, the headline CPI contracted 0.09 percent compared to the same period last year.

Looking ahead, the headline CPI is expected to continue its fall on the back of the downward pressure from energy-related prices, said Nantapong Chiralerspong, director general of the ministry's Trade Policy and Strategy Office.

"If global energy prices continue to drop, combined with the strength of the baht currency, there is a possibility that inflation will steadily decline," Nantapong told a news conference.

However, the government's stimulus measures aimed at boosting income and stimulating spending could potentially lead to a slight increase in inflation, he added. ■