Thailand - Selected Issues (Electronic book text)

1. Over the course of last year, the Thai economy has demonstrated a paradoxical mix of strengths and weaknesses. Its strength was shown in its rapid rebound from the global crisis. But its weakness was also underscored: the loss of its former dynamism, which has slowed trend growth and left it largely dependent on exports. In the short term, the key policy challenge will be to ensure that the nascent recovery matures into a sustained expansion. Over the longer term, the task will be to address the structural weaknesses, so that the economy can be placed on a more dynamic growth path. The 2010 Article IV consultation consequently focused on these two issues.