By Jake Maxwell Watts and Gwen Robinson in Bangkok

The heated debate in Thailand about whether the central bank should intervene to stem the biggest rise in the baht in 16 years intensified this week as a survey of Thai companies revealed that almost 10 per cent of entrepreneurs claim they would go out of business if the baht rose further to 27.90 to the dollar.

Thailand’s currency was hovering around 28.90 to the dollar on Thursday, down from 28.56 last week, but still nearly 6 per cent higher than at the beginning of the year. The baht’s steady appreciation has been largely driven by inflows of foreign capital seeking strong returns from Thailand’s booming economy and exiting Japan. Continue reading »

The Thai baht hit a 16-year record on Tuesday, appreciating another 0.8 per cent and falling below 29 to the dollar for the first time since the Asian financial crisis of 1997.

The baht touched 28.93 to the dollar at one point, before weakening to just over 29. It’s a worry for policy makers, who have seen the baht appreciate by over 5 per cent already this year alone, but who don’t seem to have a lot of options. Continue reading »