The Bank of Thailand (BoT) yesterday decided to raise its 15-month-long key policy rate of 1.25 percent by 0.25 percent, due to the country’s economic recovery and the central bank’s confidence in continuous economic growth.
In April last year, the BoT’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had cut the one-day repurchase rate from 1.50 to 1.25 percent when the global financial crisis, which hit its peak in September and October 2008, still affected Thai economy significantly through the contraction of the country’s exports.
The 1.25-percent policy rate was then put on hold during …

Date of Birth:  August 20, 1952
 
Education:
1974 — Bachelor of Engineering, First-class Honours, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
1976 — Master of Engineering in Industrial Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok
1978 — Master in Business Administration, Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA
1981 — Doctor of Business Administration, Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA
 
Current Position:
2004 - present — President , Kasikornbank Plc

Thailand’s Cabinet yesterday endorsed the nomination of Dr Prasarn Trairatvorakul, currently the president of Kasikornbank Plc, as the new governor of the Bank of Thailand (BoT).
The 58-year-old, Harvard-educated, banker will succeed Dr Tarisa Watanagase who will retire at the end of September, after receiving a Royal appointment from His Majesty the King.
Dr Prasarn Trairatvorakul earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering respectively at Chulalongkorn University and the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok before moving to Harvard for an MBA and doctorate on a scholarship from the Ananda Mahidol …

Q1 (by Nirmal Ghosh, Straits Times): Since assuming office you’ve spoken of reconciliation. Yet one and half years later, we see Thailand even more divided. There’s no sign of any reconciliation. It seems as if there is suppression of the elements that you are talking about, part of the Red Shirt movement, the leadership, and so forth. How realistic is this reconciliation plan of yours given this history?
PM Abhisit: Well, first, I’ve always talked about reconciliation that is based on the rule of law.  Every time that we took an initiative …

PM Abhisit (centre) is seen briefing the foreign press about the recent Bangkok violence
Last Saturday, ten days after the violent riot in Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok ended with arson attacks and lootings, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had an official meeting with the representatives of foreign media, after a briefing to foreign envoys and representatives of international organisations, to explain what had happened during the two-month-long protest of a group called the “United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD)” or the “Red Shirts” and what the government plans to do …

The Bank of Thailand (BoT) yesterday decided to keep the key interest rate unchanged at 1.25 percent during the fourth meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) this year.
BoT assistant governor Paiboon Kittisrikangwan, who announced the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, disclosed that the decision to maintain the policy rate at 1.25 percent was mainly due to the uncertainties related to the impact of sovereign debt problems in Europe and the domestic political situation which are still the key risks to Thailand’s growth outlook.
According a statement of …