Thai Baht

  • Business NewsBaht volatility looms amid political risk and new government formation

    Baht volatility looms amid political risk and new government formation

    Kasikornbank (KBank) has warned investors that the formation of a new government and political risk may result in increased baht volatility over the next month. The bank forecasts that the baht will fluctuate between 33.80-35.40 per US dollar during this period due to various internal and external factors. The primary determinant is the direction of the US Federal Reserve’s policy…

  • Economy NewsThai baht soars as voters back pro-democracy parties

    Thai baht soars as voters back pro-democracy parties

    The Thai baht hit a five-week high this morning after pro-democracy parties came out as the biggest winners in yesterday’s General Election after nearly a decade of military-backed rule in Thailand. The baht rallied 0.9% this morning to 33.70 against the greenback for the first time since April 5 after opposition parties Move Forward Pary (MFP) and Phue Thai won the…

  • Thai LifeThailand: Check your 20 baht bills, they might be worth more than you think…

    Thailand: Check your 20 baht bills, they might be worth more than you think…

    A Thai coin and banknote collector is offering big cash for a rare kind of 20 baht bill that could be in anyone’s wallet in Thailand. Some of the new plastic polymer 20 baht bills which entered circulation last year were printed without a vertical line on the left-hand side, as seen in the picture. “Gig” the rare money collector…

  • Thailand video newsPolice saved 2 hostages from Chinese kidnapper | GMT

    Police saved 2 hostages from Chinese kidnapper | GMT

    The latest episode of Good Morning Thailand is sure to be a hit with its exciting and diverse lineup of topics. From the potential effects of the US Bank collapse on Thai businesses to the successful capture of a Chinese kidnapper at the airport, viewers will be on the edge of their seats. The episode kicks off with a discussion…

  • Economy News89% of bank accounts in Thailand hold less than 50,000 baht

    89% of bank accounts in Thailand hold less than 50,000 baht

    The Bank of Thailand (BOT) reports that 88.88% of bank accounts in Thailand hold less than 50,000 baht (US$1,423) in deposits, according to Komchadluek. In total, there were 121.4 million bank accounts in Thailand at the end of 2022. Of those, 98.5 million (88.88%) held less than 50,000 baht and 1,023 bank accounts (0.0008%) held more than 500 million baht.…

  • Thailand video newsThailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists last month | GMT

    Thailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists last month | GMT

    Thailand is a country that is home to the most motorcyclists in the world and is currently in the process of haggling for discounted SEA Games broadcasting rights. Last month, the country welcomed 2.14 million international tourists, however, the recent news of a foreign tourist being slapped by a Khao San Road bouncer has caused concern. In more positive news,…

  • Thailand video newsCall for Covid boosters before wave of Chinese tourism | Thailand News Today

    Call for Covid boosters before wave of Chinese tourism | Thailand News Today

    Thai baht and Singapore dollar battle for strongest regional currency China is reopening its borders, pushing economists to predict that an influx of Chinese tourists to Thailand will propel the Thai baht into Southeast Asia’s reigning currency in 2023. But the baht has one regional competitor: the trusty Singapore dollar. Thailand’s economy heavily depends on tourism revenue. In 2019, Chinese…

  • World NewsThai baht and Singapore dollar battle for strongest regional currency

    Thai baht and Singapore dollar battle for strongest regional currency

    China is reopening its borders, pushing economists to predict that an influx of Chinese tourists to Thailand will propel the Thai baht into Southeast Asia’s reigning currency in 2023. But the baht has one regional competitor: the trusty Singapore dollar. Thailand’s economy heavily depends on tourism revenue. In 2019, Chinese tourists made up over 40% of the 40 million tourist…

  • Economy NewsThai baht depreciates against US dollar

    Thai baht depreciates against US dollar

    After a recent surge of strength by the Thai baht earlier this month, it has now depreciated against the US dollar. As of today, December 16, the baht now stands at about 35 per USD, according to an executive at Kasikorn Research Center, Kanchana Chokpaisarnsilp. Yesterday, the baht was at 34.92 per USD, Daily News reported. Market strategist Poon Panichphiboon…

  • Economy NewsThai baht soars to six-month high against US dollar

    Thai baht soars to six-month high against US dollar

    The Thai baht opened at 34.78 against the US dollar today, strengthening from yesterday’s close of 35 to a six-month high. The baht’s sudden rise is down to the Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) hiking the policy rate by a quarter point earlier this week. The BOT remains committed to a gradual monetary tightening policy, raising the policy rate from 1%…

  • Economy NewsBank of Thailand to raise interest rates on Wednesday

    Bank of Thailand to raise interest rates on Wednesday

    Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput today announced interest rates will be raised on Wednesday to deal with potential inflation increases. Governor Sethaput is expected to raise interest rates by a modest quarter-point to take the benchmark rate to 1.25% underscoring ongoing worries about growth in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. Thailand’s economy lagged its Southeast Asia contemporaries and is…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | 36 sex workers in Pattaya arrested for prostitution

    Thailand News Today | 36 sex workers in Pattaya arrested for prostitution

    Car bomb kills one, hurts 31 at Narathiwat police flats Police found that a man dressing like a plainclothes policeman parked a bomb- carrying pickup truck which later went off, killed one police captain and injured 43 others at a police flat compound in Muang district on Nov 22. Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police Office,…

  • World NewsUS Federal Reserve hikes up interest rates again

    US Federal Reserve hikes up interest rates again

    The United States Federal Reserve approved yet another aggressive interest rate hike yesterday in their quest to combat persistent inflation which is at a 40-year high in America. It is the fourth consecutive 0.75% interest rate hike approved this year. The central bank has raised the policy rate from near zero in March to what is now between 3.75-4%. It…

  • Economy NewsThai baht plummets even further against US dollar

    Thai baht plummets even further against US dollar

    The Thai baht depreciated even further against the strengthening US dollar. Last month, the baht plunged to 38 to the dollar for the first time in 16 years. Today, US$1 is worth 38.35 baht. Market strategist at Krungthai Bank Poon Panitphiboon revealed that the baht weakened from 38.25 yesterday to 38.35 against the dollar this morning. As US bond yields…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Bank of Thailand to mount rescue of crumbling baht

    Thailand News Today | Bank of Thailand to mount rescue of crumbling baht

    The Bank of Thailand (BOT) is attempting to steer the baht and the economy through some tricky times. As the government is apparently out of ideas to jump- start the economy due to high debt, the responsibility has fallen to the central bank. The central bank’s recent move to raise the key policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1%…

  • Property NewsThailand’s monsoon baht debacle lights fire to Phuket real estate sector

    Thailand’s monsoon baht debacle lights fire to Phuket real estate sector

    As Thailand’s monsoon season continues with what seems to be an endless line-up of thunderstorms and massive rain showers, the real story in Thai real estate is the baht. The Thai currency is precariously sitting at a 16-year low against the US dollar and has depreciated by nearly twelve per cent this year. As the exchange rate hovers near the…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Bank of Thailand scrambles to address plummeting Baht

    Thailand News Today | Bank of Thailand scrambles to address plummeting Baht

      The Bank of Thailand is scrambling to find sources behind the weakening baht as a meeting is called to discuss its impact. As of this recording, the baht trades at 37.4 against the US dollar. Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says the depreciating currency is adding to the inflationary pressures and vowing to determine whether the decline is linked to the country’s economic fundamentals.…

  • Economy NewsThailand’s baht weakens against US dollar

    Thailand’s baht weakens against US dollar

    Thailand’s baht has weakened against the US dollar this year. On Wednesday, the conversion rate was 36.73 baht per dollar, having been weakened by 8.8% this year. The baht hit its lowest point in 15 years in July, when the rate was 36.945 baht per dollar. The US dollar has gotten stronger due to a drop in many countries’ foreign…

  • Economy NewsIs the Thai Baht falling in value?

    Is the Thai Baht falling in value?

    Yes. And no. Depends on which currency you want to compare it to. Against the mighty USD, absolutely yes. In February this year, the USD was valued at 32.12 baht to the dollar. Now it’s 36.48 baht to the dollar. Good news if you’ve got USD and heading to Thailand. GRAPHIC: xe.com But the story isn’t the same against many…

  • Thailand video newsIs now the best time to invest in Thailand due to the weak Baht | GMT

    Is now the best time to invest in Thailand due to the weak Baht | GMT

      Is now the best time to invest in Thailand? what are the pros and cons of a weaker Baht? Asia’s largest water park, Bangkok governor election winner and Do Thai teachers and institutions abuse their power? All this and more on today’s Good Morning Thailand.

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | SF Cinema rents out its theatre halls to gamers due to slow box office sales.

    Thailand News Update | SF Cinema rents out its theatre halls to gamers due to slow box office sales.

    The Royal Thai Police have arrested two officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau for allegedly kidnapping a gambling couple and their child last week. The wife claimed that officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau kidnapped her and her family for ransom, after they won 2 million baht from online gambling. The woman said that she, her husband and…

  • Thailand NewsBank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity

    Bank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity

    The Bank of Thailand has launched a new 20 baht banknote made of polyester. The banknote is said to resist moisture and grime, resulting in a longer shelf-life. The central bank began distributing the shiny new baht greenbacks on March 24. The Bank of Thailand announced that people used the 20 baht banknote the most frequently, making them dirty and…

  • Thailand video newsTest & Go, then test again I GMT

    Test & Go, then test again I GMT

      Thailand resumes TEST & GO scheme, reopens Pattaya and Ko Chang Sandbox from 1 February 2022, but with new changes and amendments. A wildlife youtuber has discovered a new species of tarantula in Thailand and 20 baht bills in Thailand are getting a modern polymer update on March 24.

  • Bangkok NewsThai baht rises as officials consider resumption of Test & Go

    Thai baht rises as officials consider resumption of Test & Go

    Thailand saw strength in its currency “baht” today as expectations are high for the relaxing of quarantine for vaccinated visitors under “Test & Go” quarantine exemption scheme. Registration for the entry scheme was closed last month, but the Public Health Ministry is proposing the scheme be reopened again. The Public Health Minister says that if approved by the Centre for…

  • Economy NewsThai baht to continue dropping against the USD

    Thai baht to continue dropping against the USD

    The Thai baht is forecast to droop to a 4-year low over the next trading week, and its largest monthly currency drop for over 20 years. The Baht’s challenges shadow US dollar gains over concerns about the US Fed’s (US Federal Reserve) ‘tapering’ plans as it reins in enthusiastic stimulus of the US economy. Thailand’s baht has been the region’s…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | 32M Pfizer doses on the way, weakening Thai baht | August 13

    Thailand News Today | 32M Pfizer doses on the way, weakening Thai baht | August 13

    Thailand’s Public Health Minister says there will be 32.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the country by the end of the year. The death from Covid-19 of another fully vaccinated healthcare worker has led to increased calls for Pfizer booster shots. The weakening Thai baht, against the US dollar, is propping up the export numbers. Tourism officials in…

  • Thailand video newsGMT | Covid update, monkey business, Thai gold | July 27

    GMT | Covid update, monkey business, Thai gold | July 27

    GOOD MORNING THAILAND Tim and Jay go through the news in Thailand from the past 24 hours. It was a public holiday yesterday, so no program. Today we check out the monkey invasion, the drop of the Thai baht, the Sandbox Paradox and a South Korean TV station gaff at the opening of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. We…

  • Thailand NewsThai baht goes from top-performing to worst-hit currency in Asia

    Thai baht goes from top-performing to worst-hit currency in Asia

    Before the pandemic, the Thai baht was the strongest-performing currency in Asia. Now, it’s the worst-hit currency in the region, according to Japan-based Mizuho Bank. The Thai economy has been shrinking over the past year, hitting lows which some compare to the contraction during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The Japanese bank says the under-performance of the Thai baht is…

  • Northern Thailand NewsMan arrested in northeast Thailand, accused of producing fake bank notes

    Man arrested in northeast Thailand, accused of producing fake bank notes

    Police in the north-eastern province of Si Sa Ket have arrested a 37 old man accused of producing counterfeit currency. Phichaphob Phankham was detained at a property in the Nong Phai district as part of an investigation into a trail of fake 100 baht notes in circulation in Si Sa Ket and neighbouring provinces. Police say his arrest follows the…

  • Economy NewsGold sales go up as Thais sell jewelry to pay for routine expenses

    Gold sales go up as Thais sell jewelry to pay for routine expenses

    With job losses and pay cuts brought on by the pandemic, many Thais are lining up to sell their gold to bring in some cash, like 22 year old Suvirat Namvicha, an office worker in Bangkok who had her overtime expenses cut. Survirat, who is also pregnant, says she needed to sell a gold necklace to pay for her medical bills.…