Economy and commerce

Economists foresee further cuts in Thailand’s policy interest rate next year — but not next month — after the central bank governor said policymakers are prepared to act if economic growth worsens, though will avoid taking interest rates below zero.“In the short term, we are ...

Thai people have reduced their spending to survive the country’s economic difficulties, a belt-tightening exacerbated by political and social fears, according to the result of a survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.The poll was conducted on 1,174 people throughout the country ...

Bank of Thailand governor Veerathai Santiprabhob admits the baht has appreciated at a rate which exceeds the economic fundamentals, saying that interest rate cuts are no longer “strong medicine” that can cure it.The central bank governor on Saturday expressed concern over the currency’s strengthening — ...

After instructing the economic ministers, who are from various political parties, to engage in conversations with each other more regularly, the Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, reminded them to work within the government framework and to deliver policies to alleviate people’s hardships.Keep reading ...

More than 10 companies are poised to launch green bonds next year, suggesting that environmental, social and governance (ESG) bonds are gaining ground in Thailand.The tentative green bond issuers are both listed and non-listed companies, said Sirivipa Supantanet, deputy secretary-general of the Securities and Exchange ...

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak’s top concerns for next year are exports and confidence amid global economic uncertainties.“We are unsure what next year will hold, so we need to strengthen ourselves,” he said.Boosting economic momentum is a key issue this year, so the government needs ...

Exports dropped by 4.5% year-on-year in October to US$20.8 billion, bringing the contraction in first 10 months of 2019 to 2.35% with a negative outlook, according to the Commerce Ministry.Pimchanok Vonkorporn, director-general of the ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office, attributed the significant decline to ...

A free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU is likely to stimulate not only exports but imports and investment as well, helping to raise Thailand’s GDP by 1.63% a year, says a joint study by the Trade Negotiations Department and the Institute of Future Studies ...

The national e-payment roadmap for 2020 prioritises cross-border payments and fund transfers, aiming to boost financial transactions via the digital platform across Asean and deepening integration of the regional bloc.Under the three-year national e-payment roadmap through 2022, cross-border transactions are the focus next year. Financial ...

Thailand slipped one position to 43rd out of 63 economies in the World Talent Ranking 2019, while its regional peers Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines advanced, according to a report conducted by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre (WCC).The sixth edition of the ranking takes into ...