Thai April exports up 24.6 pct y/y

* April exports +24.6 pct y/y vs +27.5 pct in Reuters poll

* Imports +27.9 pct y/y vs +24.8 pct in Reuters poll

* Trade deficit $0.80 bln vs +$0.40 bln in Reuters poll

BANGKOK, May 20 (Reuters) -

Thai customs-cleared trade data from the Commerce Ministry.

(Percentage change from a year earlier; figures may not add
up exactly due to rounding):
Apr Mar Feb Jan Dec Nov Oct Sep
Exports
Pct 24.6 30.9 31.0 22.3 18.8 28.5 15.7 21.2
($ bln)17.56 21.26 18.87 16.75 17.37 17.70 17.13 18.06

Imports
Pct 27.9 28.4 22.5 33.3 11.5 35.3 13.5 16.0
($ bln)18.36 19.47 17.10 17.60 16.08 17.29 14.81 15.00

Trade Balance
($ bln)-0.80 +1.79 +1.77 -0.86 +1.29 +0.41 +2.32 +3.07

CONTEXT:

- Shipments to Japan slowed in March due to the disruption
caused by the massive earthquake there and will continue to be
affected in coming months.

- Exports to Japan rose 23.6 percent in March from a year
earlier after a 36.8 percent rise in February. China was
Thailand's biggest export market in March, with Japan and the
euro zone tied for second place.

- Major Thai exports to Japan include cars and car parts,
electronics and machinery. Japan is also Thailand's biggest
source of imports, accounting for about a fifth of the total.

- Some Thai officials say the quake will have only a
short-term impact on trade. Toyota Motor Corp's Thai
unit, for example, has said its operations would be back to
normal from May 23, after it cut output following the
earthquake.[ID:nL3E7FM0GR].

- The Commerce Ministry has said exports could grow 15
percent this year while the Bank of Thailand last month raised
its export growth forecast to 20.4 percent from 11-14 percent,
saying advance orders were still strong.

- The central bank is widely expected to lift its benchmark
interest rate, the one-day repurchase rate , by 25
basis points to 3.0 percent at its next meeting on June 1; it
would be its seventh rise in this cycle, which began in July
2010 from a record low of 1.25 percent. [ID:nL3E7FK1PF].

LINKS:

For details, see Commerce Ministry website:
here#

For Reuters poll [ID:nL3E7GA24L].

($1=30.21 baht)

(Reporting by Boontiwa Wichakul; Writing by Orathai Sriring;
Editing by Alan Raybould)