thegreglowe.com

By GREG LOWE
IN BANGKOK
DOMESTIC political unrest dealt a severe blow to Thai business sentiment, driving it to an all-time low last month, recent reports reveal.
Surveys published in January show local confidence is eroding faster than in other regional markets. And the Industries Sentiment Index plunged to 62.9 per cent in December - its [...]

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By GREG LOWE
IN BANGKOK
THAI banks face a deteriorating outlook for this year, despite having shown resilience against the effects of the global slowdown last year, but the worst is yet to come, according to analysts.
Lower provisioning and higher loans growth saw Thailand’s banking system report higher average return on assets (ROA) of 1.1 [...]

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By GREG LOWE
IN BANGKOK
THAILAND’S domestic auto sales are expected to plunge another 15.4 per cent this year, says the country’s biggest car maker. But industry observers reckon the decline could be worse.
While the country’s economic fundamentals remain sound and its low-car ownership rate offers strong sales opportunities, the effects of the global downturn [...]

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By GREG LOWE
IN BANGKOK
ECONOMISTS lambasted the Thai government’s 115 billion baht (S$4.9 billion) fiscal stimulus package for being populist and insufficient to revive the country’s failing economy, when it was announced last week.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended the 18-project supplementary spending budget, which includes 19 billion baht in one-time handouts to low-income earners. [...]

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By GREG LOWE
IN BANGKOK
THAILAND’S central bank yesterday slashed its key interest rate by 75 basis points, in line with market expectations, to offset the effects of the global downturn on an increasingly sluggish domestic economy. And a further rate cut is expected soon.
The Bank of Thailand’s monetary policy committee (MPC) reduced its policy [...]

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Political stability must be achieved before any government initiatives to stimulate Thailand´s flagging residential property market will be able to restore confidence, according to industry chiefs and analysts. Extending the current tax breaks for developers and buyers may take the sting out of any downturn but will fall far short of its target without more [...]

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Street-side is where it’s at for lovers of authentic Thai dishes, but eating like a local calls for knowledge only a Bangkok insider can supply. GREG LOWE serves up a street food primer
Along with smiles, temples and beaches, Thailand’s food has to be considered a marquee attraction. And while this ?ery form of culinary expression [...]

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