BOT:Thailand's export growth should exceed 4% in 2018

BANGKOK, February 22 (TNA) - The Bank of Thailand (BOT) says that the country's export growth this year should exceed 4 per cent year-on-year, thanks to a highest record export growth in January 2018. BOT Senior Director for Macro Economic Policy Don Nakornthab made the assessment on February 21, in response to Thailand's export growth as high as 17.6 per cent year-on-year last month. Don acknowledged that Thai exports reached 20.10 billion US dollars in January 2018, a 17.6 per cent year-on-year surge and the highest record in 62 months or over five years. Don attributed the highest record export growth partly to this year's Chinese New Year holidays, which fall in mid-February, rather than in late January as some previous years, bolstering international trade in January in Thailand and other Asian countries. According to the BOT senior director, Thai exports last month expanded in all categories and to all importing markets, reflecting growing demand for goods overseas more widely. As an updated trend of world oil prices that should stand over 60 US dollars a barrel and a recent survey found that most business operators viewed Thailand's export growth this year should stand higher than the 4 per cent year-on-year earlier projected by the central bank late last year, the BOT senior director initially agreed that the country's export growth should exceed 4 per cent year-on-year in 2018. The BOT senior director told journalsits that the central bank plans to announce its revised projection of Thailand's export growth in 2018 after next month's meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). (TNA)