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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK BUSINESSES that have been hit hard by months of protests and deadly clashes on the capital’s streets say that it is too early to assess the full impact of the recent violence on their operations. Protesters rampaged across Bangkok on Wednesday, torching more than 30 buildings, after leaders of the […]

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK THE government is hopeful that this weekend’s mass protests will pass without violence, but security forces are well prepared for any incident, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya says. Thousands of red-shirt supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday started mobilising from around the country to converge on the capital tomorrow, […]

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK THAI-LISTED companies saw net profits surge by 42 per cent last year to 446.51 billion baht (S$19.13 billion) on sales totalling 6.39 trillion baht, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) says. The top-performing industry groups were resources, finance, and property and construction respectively, with PTT, Siam Cement, PTT Exploration and […]

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK GOVERNMENT activity and fiscal stimulus remain key factors driving the Thai economy which is showing strong signs of improvement after a rebound in exports to key global markets, says Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij. Mr Korn said the government had performed well in its first year in office by facing down […]

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ASEAN’S 14th summit concluded in Thailand on March 1 having made some significant economic and political developments, but the association’s lofty goals will be hindered by protectionism and its non-interference policy, experts say. The Asean Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration affirmed the 10 member states’ commitment to free trade, the development of regional economic, social and […]

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK DETERIORATING asset quality is becoming a serious issue for Thailand’s commercial banks, according to new central bank figures, but analysts say the sector can face down the recession due to its strong fundamentals. Bank of Thailand figures for the last quarter showed that re-entry non-performing loans (NPLs) – failed loans […]

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK AIRLINES are yet to be compensated for losses they suffered when anti-government protesters blockaded Thai airports last year, despite government assurances of financial support. Some 350,000 tourists were stranded in Bangkok and 3.4 million prevented from entering Thailand when a group called the People’s Alliance for Democracy seized the city’s […]

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK THAILAND’S economy may be the worst hit in Asia as the global slump tightens its grip on the region, says Moody’s Economy.com. Yesterday’s interest rate cut by the Thai central bank will have little impact on productivity, according to analysts, who predict further cuts in the near-term.

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK THAILAND’S economy contracted for the first time in a decade when growth in the fourth quarter of last year plummeted to -4.3 per cent. And this year’s GDP growth is likely to drop to -1 per cent, the National Economic and Social Development Board (Nesdb) said yesterday. Slumping demand in […]

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By GREG LOWE IN BANGKOK BANGKOK’S residential property prices will fall by 10 per cent this year, while resort area transactions have ground to a halt, but domestic political turmoil may have prevented a market crash, experts say. Foreign buyers, who account for around 30 per cent of Bangkok’s condominium market, continue to evaporate, leading […]

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