Thailand's exports in August declined by a smaller-than-expected 7.94% from a year earlier, led by lower shipments of cars, machinery and plastic pellets, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday.
The drop compared with a forecast in a Reuters poll for a decline of 12.05% in exports, and against July's 11.37% fall.
Excluding gold shipments, exports declined 14.26% year-on-year.
In January-August, exports, a key driver of Thai growth, contracted 7.75% from a year earlier, while imports tumbled 15.31%.