Showing 71 - 80 of 83
Bank of Thailand lands in hot water
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 16/01/2020
» It caught almost everyone by surprise when the baht strengthened past the psychological level of 30 baht per US dollar during the New Year holidays.
New Year economic wishfulness
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 02/01/2020
» 'Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could." Of course, many will recognise these song lyrics from the motion picture The Sound of Music. But this phrase actually dates back to ancient Greece and the time of Aristotle. It is a foundation of all science: nothing can be created out of nothing. Economic science also follows this principle strictly. For a better economy, we first need a better economic environment. Thus, for a better economy this year, we need a better economic environment than in 2019. Will that be the case for Thailand?
Time to bring the baht to heel for sake of economy
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 22/11/2019
» Complaints about the strong baht are growing louder by the month. Many are puzzled at why Thailand's currency keeps appreciating despite a weakening economy and falling exports. At the beginning of the year, the US dollar/baht rate was at 32.33. As of Wednesday, the baht had strengthened to 30.18 per dollar.
Take economic data with a grain of salt
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 07/11/2019
» Originally, I planned to write an article titled "Albert Einstein and baht exchange rate". Then I said to myself, "Nope, let's not write another serious article this week". So, I decided to go for a lighter one about international rankings and ratings which the government often cites to reiterate that the Thai economy is in good shape. I never have understood why governments like to do this. Nobody cares about these figures. They care about their businesses, their jobs and their debts.
When honesty really is the best policy
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 24/10/2019
» The International Monetary Fund (IMF), my alma mater, appointed a new chief on Oct 1. The new Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, suddenly changes the "everything is okay" view on the world economy to "the world is about to collapse".
Is it all the Bank of Thailand's fault?
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 12/09/2019
» Currently, the two most pressing economic issues in Thailand are the appreciation of the baht and the high level of household debt.
HK protest stems from economic plight
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 15/08/2019
» My column today was supposed to be an analysis of the Thai economic outlook for the remaining half-year of 2019. However, the ongoing massive upheaval in Hong Kong changed my mind.
Online trading spells massive job losses
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 18/07/2019
» By writing about Sampheng, Bangkok's premier wholesale market, this column does not want to stress the weakness of the economy. It is pointless to keep whining about the sluggishness of the economy as it is already a well-known fact. Even the government can see the true picture of the economy by simply looking at its tax revenues. Poor-performing businesses do not pay taxes and jobless people also do not pay taxes.
Could the baht strengthen even further?
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 04/07/2019
» Just the other morning before I woke up, I dreamed that I was in line at a bank waiting to change my Thai baht into US dollars for an overseas trip. Once I got to the teller, she told me that today's baht-to-dollar exchange rate was 25.8 and asked how many dollars I wanted. I asked her to repeat the exchange rate again and she confirmed the rate of 25.8 baht to the dollar. I told myself that this must be a dream, and I woke up.
Don't neglect the Ministry of Industry
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 20/06/2019
» Turn on the news. There is nothing much to watch except for Thai politics and the formation of the new cabinet. First, it is about the ministerial posts to be allocated to each coalition party. Then, the allocation of the posts within the parties. Finally, the specific names for each position.