Int'l investors are more confident in Thai economy

BANGKOK, November 3 (TNA) - International investors now appear to be more confident in the Thai economy, after the national economy grew by 3.7 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of this year and the country's ease of doing business position in 2018, ranked by the World Bank among 190 economies worldwide, has been up to the 26th place, from the 46th place in 2017 and the 49th place in 2016. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Director-General of the State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO), told journalists of the update on Friday, pointing out that there have been more international investors contributing to Thailand's new basic infrastructure projects, especially five projects under the PPP Fast track, totally worth 300 billion baht. Ekniti noted that expanding Thai exports, cushioned by the recovering world economy, have also boosted confidence in the Thai economy among international investors, seen as well by the rising stock exchange of Thailand (SET) index, which has reached 1,700 points. According to the SEPO chief, the government, thus, plans to establish the Thailand Future Fund to mobilize a certain amount of fund from investors to sufficiently finance its new mega infrastructure development projects. The SEPO chief said the Thai government plans to launch the Thailand Future Fund by the first quarter of 2018 when investing firms and the general public will be welcome to invest in the fund that will be used, among others, to support two new expressway projects of the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EAT), totally worth about 44 billion baht. (TNA)