Thai Q3 GDP growth disappoints, missing forecasts amid weak exports

This picture taken on Sept 10, 2023 shows a group of Chinese tourists walking through the entrance at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. - AFP

BANGKOK: Thailand's economy grew much slower-than-expected in the third quarter, weighed down by weak exports and government spending, the state planning agency said on Monday, while predicting stronger growth next year.

Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 1.5% in the July-September quarter from a year earlier, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said, down from the 2.4% growth predicted by economists in a Reuters poll.