Thailand holds rate on rebound optimism as restrictions ease

The ramp-up of vaccinations and faster-than-expected easing of restrictions should support the economy the rest of this year and next, assistant governor Titanun Mallikamas said.

BANGKOK: Thailand’s central bank held its key interest rate unchanged amid optimism that an economic rebound will hold, as South-East Asia’s second largest economy loosens growth-stifling restrictions and virus cases ease.

The Bank of Thailand voted unanimously yesterday to hold the one-day repurchase rate at a record-low 0.5% for an 11th straight meeting, as predicted by 19 of 22 economists in a Bloomberg survey.