Bangkok, Jan. 9 -- Thailand has entered "technical deflation" after headline inflation stayed negative for nine consecutive months, according to Associate Professor Thanavath Phonvichai, President of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting. The expert was quoted by local media as saying that economists typically define technical deflation as a sustained fall in prices for more than six months. He attributed the current bout mainly to lower production costs, particularly cheaper fuel and persistently low agricultural prices. However, he noted that core inflation, which strips out energy and fresh food, remains positive, suggesting underlying purchasing power has not yet ...