Thailand ’s gross domestic product (GDP) will increase by 0.2 percent
in the next two years, according to the Bank of Thailand (BoT).
MCOT online news quoted BoT Assistant Governor Paiboon Kittisrikangwan
as saying that the GDP forecast will be elevated from 4.9 percent to
5.1 percent this year, and from 4.8 percent to 5.0 percent next year,
mainly due to impressive economic growth in last year’s fourth quarter
and the economic resurrection of trading partners, especially Japan
and some other Asian countries.
The government’s 2
trillion THB investment in infrastructure projects will contribute to
capital injections into the economy, which is expected to absorb 17
billion THB in circulation this year and 93 billion THB next year, he
said.
Paiboon said the Thai economy will rocket much
beyond the BoT’s forecast if the capital injections reach 220 billion
THB as targeted by the government.
However,
Thailand’s exports may increase at 7.5 percent this year, below the 9
percent forecast – a phenomenon which the BoT blames partly on the rapid
appreciation of the baht and the sluggish global economy.
The inflation has been stable with the base rate at 1.6 percent and
the general rate at 2.7 percent, while pressure on capital has slightly
increased due to higher crude oil prices.-VNA