BOT:Thai economy should regain potential growth in 2015

BANGKOK, October13 (TNA) - Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul has told foreign journalists that he is confident Thailand should regain economic growth in line with national potential in 2015. BOT Spokesman Jirathep Seniwong na Ayutthaya told reporters on Monday that the BOT governor told the foreign media in an interview during the 2014 Joint World Bank–International Monetary Fund (IMF) Development Committee Meeting in Washington recently, in which he was a Thai participating delegate. Jirathep said the BOT chief explained to the international journalists that Thailand’s political situation has been improving, which should help bring back domestic consumption and spending to their normal track. Besides, the private sector should benefit from the Thai government's measures to stimulate domestic investment, resulting in the country's gross demestic product (GDP) to grow in accordance with its potential next year. According to the BOT spokesman, the BOT chief also told the foreign media that the interim Thai government is accelerating national reform, including the restructuring of state enterprises, domestic energy prices and the local agricultural sector without resorting to the price sudsidy policy, which should help strengthen the national competitiveness eventually. In response to worries aired by foreigners on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand, the BOT governor informed the international journalists that new projects seeking promotional privileges from the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) have risen noticeably, including such major projects as the manufacturing of eco cars, food processing and alternative energy. (TNA)