BANGKOK, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's industrial output extended its contraction for a seventh consecutive month in February, marking the strongest decline in the sequence, driven by weaker domestic consumption and global trade uncertainty, official data showed on Friday.

The manufacturing production index (MPI) fell 3.91 percent last month from a year earlier, quickening from a revised 1.06 percent decrease in January, according to the Ministry of Industry.

Despite dropping output, tourism remained a positive factor for the Southeast Asian country's economy, with a steady rise in foreign tourists benefiting related industries such as food and beverages, as well as clothing and accessories, said the ministry's Office of Industrial Economics Director-General Passakorn Chairat.

The kingdom is focusing on industrial reform toward a modern economy, seeking to revive the Thai industrial sector as a key driver of economic growth, Passakorn told a news conference.

The ministry maintains its forecast for the MPI to grow 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent in 2025, after the index fell 1.79 percent last year. ■