Less Than Zero: The New Normal for Interest Rates? Huge global capital flows and prolonged ultra-low interest rate policies of advanced nations have made it harder for emerging economies to protect their financial system Back in the 1980s and 1990s, financially sound governments had to pay interest rates of 6-8 percent in order to borrow.…
Innovative Asian Blockchain Companies Who Are Taking Over The acceptance and regulation of cryptocurrency in Asia may be polarised depending on location, but one thing is for sure. Companies spanning the whole of Asia value blockchain technology and are putting it to good use Asia has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, and…
Building ASEAN Banking Cybersecurity resilience Technological revolutions come with their own form of risk: cyber risks. The more “digital” banks become, the more channels for potential points of attacks from cyber criminals, who are constantly evolving to exploit new loopholes. Technology and the internet have undeniably become integrated into our daily lives. Customers’ behaviors continue…
Large Thai business feeling the effects of US-China trade war, rise of the baht So what do Thailand’s big banks say? The ongoing US-China trade war and the appreciation of the Thai baht against other currencies is now starting to impact larger corporates in Thailand. Wasin Saiyawan, senior executive vice president and chief of wholesale…
Thailand prepares for cryptocurrency challenges Thailand is moving toward a cashless society. Bank notes and coins are set to become obsolete while transactions via electronic payments have increased over recent years. The plan to launch a new currency next year is ambitious and controversial, as Libra is scrutinized by central banks around the globe, including…
What goes up must come down – the battle of the baht Newton’s law looms over the Thai baht. Meanwhile, the Thai baht continues to be the best performing currency in Asia. The Thai currency is riding a 6-year high against the USD and, this year, has surged 8% against the US currency. But the strong…
Bangkok Tops Mastercard’s Cities Index For The Fourth Consecutive Year Bangkok remains the No. 1 destination, with more than 22 million international overnight visitors, but Dubai tops the list for spending. The Global Destination Cities Index—which ranks 200 cities based on proprietary analysis of publicly available visitor volume and spend data—reveals that Bangkok remains the…
Thailand’s soaring baht reaches six-year high In early 2019, the BOT did not seem concerned about the Thai baht’s appreciation, as a strong currency can actually benefit Thai importers and those who have foreign currency debts The Thai baht has been the best performing currency in emerging Asia since 2018. On a year-on-year basis, it…
Thai Baht currency control mulled by central bank The Industry Minister proposed measures to help business owners, such as the promotion of Thai Baht as a currency for international trade to reduce the risks from US Dollar currency fluctuation BANGKOK, 15th August 2019 (NNT) – The Minister of Industry has held talks with the Bank…
Thailand’s dangerous debt addiction Thailand is now a top-ten highest household debt country among 89 countries worldwide and third highest among 29 Asian countries. Thailand’s household debt has steadily increased to 78.6% of the country’s gross domestic products (GDP), or Bt12.8 trillion in the fourth quarter of last year, according to figures from the National…