Long-term trends have Thailand’s economy tilting ever closer to its own region, renewing a focus that had taken a back seat as the growth of manufacturing in the country led to a greater exposure to the world’s most developed economies. Natural market forces are one catalyst, as consumer demand in nearby countries such as China and Indonesia is on...
THE COMPANY: Established in 1944, Bangkok Bank (BBL) is the largest commercial bank in Thailand and the seventh-largest regional bank in South-east Asia. It had total assets of roughly $69bn as of March 2012 and is Thailand's market leader in the corporate segment with the largest retail customer base in...
One of the most important changes to the Thai economy expected for 2012 came on April 1, when the minimum wage in Bangkok and six other of Thailand’s 75 provinces was boosted from about BT220 ($7) to BT300 ($9.60) – a 36% jump. The wage hike will be applied to all provinces in January 2013, and will fulfil one of the current government’s major...
Alongside commercial banks Thailand has licensed a range of state-owned financial companies with mandates that go beyond banking profits, incorporating social benefits and national development goals. Tensions between this group of eight specialist lenders and commercial banks increased in 2011.
One of the longest-running issues cited by capital markets watchers in Thailand is the issue of the country’s two derivatives exchanges, the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) and the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand (AFET).
Reconciliation was central to Pheu Thai’s (PT) 2011 election platform, a sentiment that continued to resonate with voters despite five years of confrontation following the 2006 military coup that had ousted and exiled the prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Since receiving her overwhelming mandate in the 2011, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra,...
Stay updated on how some of the world’s most promising markets are being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and what actions governments and private businesses are taking to mitigate challenges and ensure their long-term growth story continues.
Register now and also receive a complimentary 2-month licence to the OBG Research Terminal.
Register Here×