The annual headline inflation rate eased in February, missing forecasts and keeping below the central bank’s goal, giving policymakers leeway to keep monetary policy loose to aid economic growth. The headline consumer price index rose 0.42% in February from a year earlier, after January’s 0.68% rise, commerce ministry data showed on Friday. A Reuters poll […]
Read MoreThailand is considering applying to join the 11-nation trade deal that was initiated by ex-president Obama but abandoned by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. Negotiations over the deal were concluded in January by the countries — Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Peru, Chile, Japan and New Zealand — who […]
Read MoreCOMMERCIAL bankers forecast only a slight depreciation of the baht despite market expectations of as many four rises in US interest rates this year. They also expect the Thai policy rate to hold steady at 1.5 per cent for the rest of this year. Jitipol Puksamatanan, a market strategist at Krungthai Bank (KTB), said that this […]
Read MoreThai consumers’ preference for digital transactions is credit positive and demonstrates the initial success of Thai banks’ digital strategies, which should eventually allow banks to rationalise their branch networks and improve cost efficiencies, says Moody’s Investors Service. Over time, widespread use of digital banking channels also will allow banks to increase revenue by expanding their […]
Read MoreThailand’s Kasikorn Bank (KBank) is joining with Myanmar’s biggest lender, Kanbawza Bank (KBZ Bank) to offer a staff exchange programme at the border cities of Mae Sot in Thailand and Myawaddy, Myanmar. The aim is to boost border trade between the two countries. The programme will focus on bank-based import-export settlements and boost the cross-border […]
Read More[BANGKOK] Thailand’s economy gained further traction on external demand but domestic demand was not”sufficiently strong”, and monetary policy has to remain accommodative to boost activity, minutes of the central bank’s last policy meeting showed on Wednesday. On Feb 14, the Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) policy committee voted unanimously to keep the one-day repurchase rate at […]
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