| Foreign Ministry briefs Diplomatic Corps on State of Emergency in Bangkok | |
 On 2 September 2008, Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Chatri Archjananun, Director of the Legal Affairs Division, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, briefed more than 100 representatives from 67 diplomatic missions and 15 international organizations in Thailand on the invocation of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation, B.E. 2548 (2005) in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area.
1. Permanent Secretary Virasakdi briefed the diplomatic corps about the unrest which occurred in the early hours of 2 September 2008 between supporters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and those of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship of Thailand (UDDT), which necessitated the declaration of the state of emergency in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area by the Prime Minister. The declaration of the state of emergency was in accordance with the rule of law and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. Furthermore, no action would be taken beyond that permissible under the Constitution.
2. Mr. Virasakdi relayed the main message of the press conference by General Anuphong Phaochinda, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, in his capacity as the Chief Official responsible for resolving the emergency situation, that his main task is to prevent a recurrence of violence. Moreover, the operation of the Army is predominantly to support as and when necessary the work of the Police, and neither officials would carry any weapons or use force. In addition, the role of the committee responsible for resolving the emergency situation is to prevent the recurrence of violence and the maintenance of public safety, not the political resolution of the situation.
3. The state of emergency in this instance has been limited to the Bangkok Metropolitan Area, and within Bangkok only a few areas have been affected.
4. The Emergency Decree is only a temporary measure. Though it has a designated timeframe of three months, it may be rescinded earlier once the situation returns to normal. In response to a question about effects upon Thailand’s tourism, the Permanent Secretary reaffirmed that tourists should not cancel their travel plans to Thailand and that tours can still take place as normal. As for the Foreign Ministry itself, it will proceed with the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting as planned from 3-5 September 2008 at the resort town of Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, to discuss preparations for the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Bangkok later this year. September 3, 2008 |
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| Thailand: Thai economy doing well overall despite political tensions | |
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Section: Economy - Thailand 's economic fundamentals remain sound despite political tensions, which are regarded as signs of the country's political evolution and part of its democratic process. According to the Bank of Thailand, the decline in oil prices and inflationary pressure is currently a positive factor supportive to the country's economic expansion. Exports have grown at a satisfactory level, amounting to 16.8 billion US dollars in July, when imports rose to 17.5 billion dollars. The manufacturing sector expanded by 11 percent against the figure during the same period last year. Apart from the slowdown in the global economy, the central bank cited the present political situation in Thailand as the only risk factor affecting the growth of the Thai economy. However, the magnitude of the political impact on economic confidence would be closely monitored. The Thai economy during the second half of this year is expected to grow by more than 5 percent, with an inflation rate of about 6 percent. Both private investment and international trade are likely to increase but at a low level. Based on the economic assessment, the Government was urged to maintain domestic purchasing power to prevent impacts from higher costs of living on low-income earners. It has been suggested that relevant agencies maintain Thailand 's export markets and ensure liquidity in the monetary system. Financial institutions should play a greater role in extending credit for small and medium-sized enterprises. According to the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Thai economy in the second quarter of 2008 expanded by 5.3 percent, down from 6.1 percent recorded in the first quarter. In the first half of this year, the economic growth registered at 5.7 percent. The Thai economy for the whole year of 2008 is expected to expand by 5.2 to 5.7 percent, with a downward trend in the second half of the year because of export deceleration, compared with the first half. Moreover, private expenditure and investment are unlikely to recover fully as a result of high oil prices and high inflation. Consumer and business confidence is likely to remain weak because of higher production costs and political uncertainties. Key risk factors requiring well-managed measures include impacts from the global downturn on exports, narrowing current account surplus, higher costs of living, the efficiency of energy use, and the stability of agricultural prices. Supporting factors contributing to economic growth in the second half include tax stimulus policies, budget disbursement acceleration, rising farm income due to an increase in production, low unemployment rate, low interest rates, and the continued export expansion. (Public Relations Department: 3 September 2008) 4 September 2008 (c) 2008 Thai News Service |
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Thailand: Thai economy expands, despite protests, says Fiscal Policy Office |
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Section: Economy - The Thai economy continued to expand satisfactorily in July despite a continued decline in consumption and investment since early this year, according to the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO). FPO Director General Pannee Sathavarodom predicted that Thailand 's consumption and investment would pick up in the third quarter this year because many indicators showed that the public has begun to have more confidence. Mrs. Pannee said that the FPO remains unable to assess the impact on public confidence of the current rallies by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and related protest demonstrators for the time being. But she said that she hoped the government would be able to prevent the rallies from degenerating into violence. Regarding the decision by the Bank of Thailand (BoT) Monetary Policy Committee to raise the policy interest rate by 25 basis points, she said the move was made because the monetary panel believed that the country's consumption and investment trend remains sound and that depositors would benefit from it. However, she conceded that the interest rate hike would affect housing loan borrowers and the cost of fuel investments. Mrs. Pannee said the Fiscal Policy Office forecast that the inflation rate will decline during the rest of this year as a result of the government-initiated "Six by Six" programme of six relief measures for six months, declining oil prices, and the policy interest rate rise. She revealed that the FPO planned to raise its economic growth projection for this year on September 25. Earlier, it forecast the economy would grow by 4.5-5.5 per cent. 1 September 2008
(c) 2008
Thai News Service |
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