Economy

Macroeconomic recovery in Thailand gained momentum in 2017, with GDP growth hitting a five-year high on the back of a positive performance in exports, tourism and financial services, as well as a moderate uptick in private consumption. Meanwhile, the main index of the Stock Exchange of Thailand hit an all-time high on the first day of trading in 2018, returning to levels not seen since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Under the auspices of new economic development strategies such as Thailand 4.0 and the Eastern Economic Corridor, infrastructure investment should further support expansion in 2018, with public spending on key transport projects set to surge, even as the government seeks private partners to help deliver billions of dollars of planned initiatives. This chapter contains interviews with Kanit Sangsubhan, Secretary-General, Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand; Nishita Shah Federbush, Group Managing Director, GP Group; and Kalin Sarasin, Chairman, The Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand.