In April 2021, Thailand’s export value surpassed $20 billion for the third month in a row, with a growth rate of 13.09% YoY, the largest gain in 36 months. Excluding gold, oil-related products, and weaponry, April exports skyrocketed 25.7% YoY. Rising export trend is consistent with Global Manufacturing PMI level of 55.8, the highest in 11 years. Nevertheless, imports climbed 29.8% YoY to $21.25 billion, resulting in a comparatively small trade surplus of $182.48 million — a collapse from April 2020 surplus of over $ 2.5 billion. Perhaps, it’s worth noting that last year’s export performance was distorted, and therefore severely understated, by the global lockdown.