[Bloomberg] Thailand’s SET Index May Rise to 750, Kasikorn Says
[Thailand’s benchmark SET Index has gained 45 percent this year, set for its best annual performance since 2003 after a 48 percent slump last year.]
[Reuters] Fitch sees bad debt at Thai banks rising into next year
[The amount of bad debt at Thai commercial banks will swell to 10 percent of total lending by the end of this year, from 7-8 percent in the first half, due to the weak economy, Fitch Ratings said on Monday.
...
Fitch projected Thailand's economy would contract 3.1 percent this year and grow 3.0 percent in 2010, boosted by a recovery in exports.]
BP: Should also note that bank stocks are up significantly this year though based on expectations of the stimulus.[Asia Times] Tobacco Fair in Thailand
[Thailand's reputation as a Southeast Asian country with strong anti-smoking laws faces a direct challenge from the tobacco multinational companies that are due to gather in the Thai capital in November for a major industry congress and exhibition.
...The role of The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly, a government body that enjoys nearly 75% of the cigarette market share locally, is also being called into question. It is a major backer of the November trade fair. ]
BP: Thailand had very-strict anti-smoking laws.[WSJ] Hidden Links Bolster Southeast Asian Militants
[A member of Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist militant group based in the southern Philippines, was recently arrested by Malaysian police while trying to enter southern Thailand, says Rohan Gunaratna, a regional terrorism expert at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. And Thai police have arrested Malaysian members of the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terrorism network, including one who attempted to kill a policeman, he says.
"Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf group are very keen to assist" in southern Thailand, Mr. Gunaratna says.]
BP: This was more likely to provide training or to seek refuge than to control the violence. One needs to be careful on what one calls "links", but again you can't deny there are connections and relationships which exist.[Bangkok Post] Rebels 'cross in for major strike'
[Insurgents from the Pattani United Liberation Organisation and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Coordinate trained in bomb-making overseas have infiltrated the South in preparation for a major strike, an intelligence source says.
...
Insurgents from the Pattani United Liberation Organisation and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Coordinate trained in bomb-making overseas have infiltrated the South in preparation for a major strike, an intelligence source says.]
BP: Not sure about the PULO part, but the overseas training is very likely true. Yes, bomb-making guides exist on the internet, but 50 kg bombs are much easier to learn from an expert.[Bangkok Post] Conflicts sap Australian sentiment in Thailand
[Continuing political confrontations and escalating violence in the southernmost provinces have dampened Thailand's investment climate and could jeopardise the government's attempts to revive the Thai economy, said the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce.
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Continuing political confrontations and escalating violence in the southernmost provinces have dampened Thailand's investment climate and could jeopardise the government's attempts to revive the Thai economy, said the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce.]
BP: Interesting that the Deep South plays a role
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
