Thailand

Thailand lags behind its peers in several measures of connectivity and IT-readiness, although this may change in the near-term. A 3G spectrum auction is scheduled for the third quarter of 2012 after years of delay that saw neighbours adopt the standard widely and even implement 4G. Reforms to the state-owned enterprises that control the infrastructure – TOT and CAT – are being considered, which...

Delays and reconstruction work from 2011’s flooding have left Thailand’s contractors with a backlog of public and private projects in 2012. The construction sector is highly competitive, with major contractors focusing on efficiency and looking for public contracts rather than rely on riskier private sector work. Competition has also led Thai builders overseas, securing projects in Laos, Vietnam...

Years of a governmental stalemate on transport investment appear to be over, after a decision by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to approve borrowing of more than $51bn for infrastructure. High-speed rail will be one major focus: plans call for four lines of several thousand kilometres total, although the project must still be approved by Parliament and pass through environmental impact...

Thailand’s most critical economic sector was hard-hit by flooding in 2011 that inundated industrial estates northeast of Bangkok, but recovery has been faster than anticipated. Moreover, factories resuming production now face a build-up of latent demand that has allowed them to make up lost ground. The industrial sector is led by electronics and electrical manufacturing, which accounts for some...

The insurance industry was certainly impacted by the unprecedented flooding damage in the second half of 2011, but the disaster is leading to reform and better approaches to risk management in the public and private sectors. The damage is also expected to increase awareness of the value of insurance and raise Thailand’s below-average insurance penetration. At the same time, increased re-insurance...

Thailand’s capital markets are relatively mature, with most major private companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) or one of three smaller bourses. The SET itself is somewhat unique among regional markets as it is a semi-governmental agency that borrows several features from the mutual structure. Demutualisation has been mooted several times in the past, but the current...