Kasikorn Bank executives have expressed worry over the possibility that the nation’s GDP will grow by only 2.6 percent this year due to the red-shirt protests. Meanwhile, 2 billion baht in credit loans have begun to suffer. Deputy managing director of Kasikorn Bank, Pakorn Punthanapaet, stated today that the Ratchaprasong demonstration by the red-shirt group has impacted the bank’s credit loan clients, especially small and medium businesses.

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KBank Credit Lines Impacted by Protests

Thailand’s open and tightly integrated into global trade economy experienced a V-shape contraction and recovery from late 2008 through late 2009
Policies that could contribute to reducing Thailand’s dependence on foreign demand include a phased liberalization of the services sector, boosting transport infrastructure, a reform of educational curricula and improved access and quality of higher education to boost skills of the labor force, better integration of universities, firms and government, and improved social safety nets

Pathom Yongvanich, a founding partner of PYI, says Asian markets have not only benefited from the inflow of international capital, but also from the growing sophistication of Asian investors themselves.
But while Thai bosses may feel powerless to change market perceptions about political risk, plenty can be done to at least separate one’s company from the herd. Too many Thai companies have free floats and trading liquidity that are too constrained to attract institutional investors.

The modern Thai capital market can essentially be divided into two phases, beginning with “The Bangkok Stock Exchange” which was privately owned, followed by the establishment of “The Securities Exchange of Thailand”.

The inception of the Thai stock market began as far back as July 1962, when a private group established an organized stock exchange as a limited partnership. The group later became a limited company and changed its name to the “Bangkok Stock Exchange Co., Ltd.” (BSE) in 1963.
Despite its well-intended foundation the BSE was rather inactive. Annual turnover value consisted of only 160 million baht in 1968, and 114 million baht in 1969. Trading volumes continued to fall sharply thereafter to 46 million baht in 1970, and then 28 million baht in 1971. The turnover in debentures reached 87 million baht in 1972, but stocks continued to perform poorly, with turnover hitting an all time low of only 26 million baht. The BSE finally ceased operations in the early 1970s.

It is generally accepted that the BSE failed to succeed because of a lack of official government support and a limited investor understanding of the equity market.