“Greatest Sorrow” To Dent But Not Derail Economic Growth

Economic Research	19 October 2016
Thailand
Economic Highlights
“Greatest Sorrow” To Dent But Not Derail Economic Growth Sadly, Thailand’s King Bhumibol passed away on 13 October. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is the designated heir, but he has asked to delay his coronation by a year. A 30-day period of mourning has been declared. However, most tourist attractions and shops are expected to remain open. It is also not expected to have any significant impact on the schedule of Thailand Transportation Investment Plan (TTIP) on megainfrastructure projects. The King’s passing will, however, dampen domestic consumer sentiment in 4Q. Hence, we revise our GDP forecast for 2016 lower to 3.1%, from 3.3% earlier. Further, we expect GDP to grow 3.8% in 2017. Economist:  Ng Kee Chou  | +603 9280 2179