ID :
310700
Thu, 12/12/2013 - 14:09
Auther :

KRC:Thailand's GDP should grow 4.5% in 2014 in normal situation

BANGKOK, December 12 (TNA) - The Kasikorn Research Center (KRC) has predicted that Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) should grow by 4.5 per cent in 2014 under the normal situation in the country. Pimolwan Mahajchariyawong, Deputy Managing Director of the leading Thai private think tank, elaborated on Thursday if the new general election happened smoothly and the new Thai government was formed within the first half of next year, which would restore confidence in the Thai economy among international business operators and stimulate Thai exports and the national economy, the country's GDP should grow by 4.5 per cent next year. Pimolwan foresaw, however, that negative impacts of Thailand's persistent political problems would continue next year, assessing if Thai exports expanded by 7 per cent amid prolonged political problems, the Thai GDP could grow by 2.5 per cent next year and if the formation of the new Thai government was delayed with slow disbursements of state budgets, Thai exports should grow by 5 per cent and the Thai GDP by by 3.7 in 2014. The KRC deputy managing director cautioned that the Thai economy could expand by only 0.5 per cent next year in the worst-case scenario, caused by impacts from prolonged domestic political protests. According to the KRC deputy managing director, Thailand's GDP should grow by only 2.7 per cent this year, as the private consumption is likely to expand by only 0.6 per cent, while domestic investment is likely to shrink by 0.8 per cent. As part of attempts to seek an agreed solution to the ongoing political strife peacefully, Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra proposed, meanwhile, that all parties concerned, including anti-government protesters, participate in a public forum to be organized by her caretaker administration at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on December 15 to jointly discuss and work out a political reform to be implemented by the Thai government after the new general election, set on February 2, 2014, explaining that the political reform plan would run in parallel with electoral campaigns, as the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has already set the registration of party-list candidates from December 23-27, 2013 and constituency candidates from December 28, 2013-January 1, 2014 and has set advance voting on January 26, 2014. Leaders of anti-government protesters have reportedly dismissed Yingluck's proposal and introduced their own forum, which has also been rejected by leaders of the pro-governemnt red-clad United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). (TNA)

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