thegreglowe.com

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 Production, Bangkok Bank [...]

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When I spoke to Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, last weekend about the Thaksin assets verdict, he raised some thought-provoking points about why the Supreme Court’s ruling would not usher in a new era of political stability.
The ruling was in fact likely to strengthen claims [...]

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Low interest rates and excess liquidity in Western economies could result in Asia’s markets falling prey to asset bubbles and speculation throughout the coming year, leading international and regional financial experts say.
Relatively high interest rates and plentiful opportunities will increasingly spur western investors to look to Asia. The International Monetary Fund forecast the region will [...]

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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 the global and [...]

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The year ahead for Thailand´s hotel and resort development sector will witness a rebound from the impact of the global financial crisis, local recession and domestic political turmoil, according to property experts. But while the outlook is less turbulent, growth will remain anaemic and patchy, and project financing will remain tight.
Occupancy levels in Thailand´s main [...]

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BANGKOK — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent appointment of Thailand’s former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, as an economic adviser was the diplomatic equivalent of precision bombing, whose shockwaves have sent relations between the neighboring Southeast Asian nations into a tailspin.
But as the dust settles, observers say it is unclear who actually benefited from the increased [...]

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Developing an Asian rail network to expand trade and economic development within the region will come a step closer this week when a new intergovernmental agreement comes into force.
The Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network, which commits signatories to co-ordinate the development and operation of international rail routes linking 28 countries, is scheduled to [...]

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Renewed unrest on the streets of Bangkok has done little to boost confidence in the real estate market
by Greg Lowe
While the double-impact of economic downturn and political uncertainty will scare-off many potential investor’s in Thailand’s real estate market, it could also provide bargain hunters with better opportunities. The political turmoil will weigh down already deflated [...]

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Thailand’s economic outlook remains decidedly bleak, but in Bangkok, some are bucking the trend
by Greg Lowe
Some Bangkok mid-range condominium projects are bucking market trends by achieving record sales amidst an increasingly negative domestic economic outlook.
Developments in prime locations have sold out in a matter of hours in some cases, as developers resort to increasingly innovative [...]

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Some property brokers and analysts forecast a 20-30 percent price correction as resort-grade property
by Greg Lowe
Some property brokers and analysts forecast a 20-30 percent price correction as resort-grade property undergoes a decline similar to plummeting markets in Hong Kong, Singapore and London. Others said the lack of buyer and developer leveraging means sales will simply [...]

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