Thai Feb exports surprisingly rise

BANGKOK: Thailand reported that exports grew in February for the first time in 14 months, thanks to two unusual items - helicopters and an eight-fold increase from a month earlier for gold shipments.

In February, customs-cleared exports rose 10.27 percent from a year earlier, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday.  A Reuters poll projected a drop of 7.65 percent following January´s decline of 8.91 percent.

Imports plunged 16.82 percent, nearly double the slide seen in a Reuters poll and an indication that exports - traditionally a growth driver in Thailand - remain weak, in spite of the reported February rise.

Many imported items are parts assembled into finished goods and shipped out.  Pushing up February exports, in the government data, were helicopters and vehicles for military drills ($683 million) and gold of $1.89 billion, compared with $237 million in January.  Those two items accounted for nearly 14 percent of total exports of $18.99 billion.