Thailand expects 12-pct investment growth in 2018

Source: Xinhua|Editor: Chengcheng

 

BANGKOK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's investment body announced the investment target of 720 billion baht (22.5 billion U.S. dollars) for 2018 after closing the year of 2017 with an investment growth of 22 percent from 2016.

 

The total investment application value of 2017 was 641.978 billion baht (20.061 billion U.S. dollars), up 22 percent from the previous year and considerably higher than the initial 600-billion-baht (18.750-billion-U.S. dollar) target for 2017, said Duangjai Asawachintachit, secretary general of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI).

 

"BOI has experienced a 5-10 percent increase in investment application value every year," said Duangjia, who is confident in hitting the 2018 target which will be a growth of 12 percent from 2017.

 

Full story: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/21/c_136913188.htm

 

-- Xinhua 2018-01-22

Surely any foreign investment will be put on hold awaiting the outcome of the election that MAY happen later this year. I find the 22%  figure for 2017 rather odd, but if you're coming from a low in 2016 then it could be real. Also how much is internal investment used by the junta to gain support ?

In 2016 it was reported that FDI was down 80% since the junta took over, so still a long way to go until 2013 investment figures.

Political uncertainty is a bane for foreign and domestic investments. As long as the election date is not officially announced, investors will simply hold off their investments or worse consider other locations. The junta is holding hostage to the country's future. Any prolonged military government will be detrimental to the well being of the country and a lost opportunity to move up the economic ladder and off the middle income trap. Soon Vietnam and Philippines will overtake Thailand GDP and Thailand will become the sick old man of ASEAN.  

After the U.S. Treasury Department puts Thailand on the list of the Worlds Currency manipulators to join China and India there will be no investing in Thailand.  The economy will take a major hit and righfully so.  These ar..seholes in the Bank of Thailand have been warned that there were serious consequences if they continued to inflate the Baht but oh no they wanted to make the Thai economy and thus their small group of the mega rich even more richer.  To hell with the consequences and how it's time to pay the piper.  The loss of face will be massive and deservidly so.

13 hours ago, webfact said:

"BOI has experienced a 5-10 percent increase in investment application value every year,"

But I believe investment is coming primarily from the junta government, foreign government investments and foreign loans. This is like running an economic expansion on steroids. Unless domestic and foreign private investment significantly increase, the Thai economy will suffer a cost for artificial economic growth.

7 hours ago, idman said:

After the U.S. Treasury Department puts Thailand on the list of the Worlds Currency manipulators to join China and India there will be no investing in Thailand.  The economy will take a major hit and righfully so.  These ar..seholes in the Bank of Thailand have been warned that there were serious consequences if they continued to inflate the Baht but oh no they wanted to make the Thai economy and thus their small group of the mega rich even more richer.  To hell with the consequences and how it's time to pay the piper.  The loss of face will be massive and deservidly so.

I guess you have not much economic sense.

 

Thrump wants the baht to be strong.. a weak bath.. the opposite of what you claim is happening is what Thrump fears. He WANTS Thailand to have a stronger Baht so Thai products are more expensive and US products cheaper. 

 

This all bad news for expats and Thrump is making cost higher for us. 

5 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

But I believe investment is coming primarily from the junta government, foreign government investments and foreign loans. This is like running an economic expansion on steroids. Unless domestic and foreign private investment significantly increase, the Thai economy will suffer a cost for artificial economic growth.

You believe.. that is nice.. i feel that everyone is free to believe in what he wants... but do you also have figures to back your beliefs up ?