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Bank of Thailand leaves interest rates unchanged

Published 07/15/2009, 03:37 AM
Updated 07/15/2009, 03:48 AM

* Policy rate unchanged at 1.25 pct in line with expectations

* Central bank says could still cut again if economy slows

* But it sees no prospect at the moment of rates going up

* Economists reckon rates may be held until end-2009 at least

BANGKOK, July 15 (Reuters) - Data from Bank of Thailand:

KEY DATA

Timeline of 1-day repo rate (pct) levels since 2007:

Since Apr. 8, 2009 1.25

Feb. 25-Apr. 8, 2009 1.50

Jan. 14-Feb. 25, 2009 2.00

Dec. 3 2008-Jan. 14, 2009 2.75

Aug. 27-Dec 3, 2008 3.75

Jul. 16-Aug. 27, 2008 3.50

Jul. 18, 2007-Jul. 16, 2008 3.25

May. 23-Jul 18, 2007 3.50

Apr. 11-May 23, 2007 4.00

Feb. 28-Apr. 11, 2007 4.50

Jan. 17-Feb. 28, 2007 4.75

CONTEXT

* Like many other central banks around the world, the Bank of Thailand has paused in its rate-cutting to assess the impact of earlier cuts, amid signs the worst of the economic downturn may be over.

* The central bank has left the rate unchanged since May; before that it had made four rate cuts in a row since December to shore up a fast-deteriorating economy.

* The National Economic and Social Development Board, the state planning agency, said in May Thailand had slipped into its first recession in a decade as household consumption, investment, tourism and exports all flagged.

* The agency, which compiles the gross domestic product data, cut its GDP expectations for 2009 to a fall of 2.5-3.5 percent, which would be Thailand's worst economic performance since the 1998 Asian financial crisis.

* The global economic crisis has hit Thai exports, equivalent to over 60 percent of GDP, and the government has tried to offset that by stimulus measures and tax breaks to spur domestic demand. Demand remains weak in Asia's key Western export markets.

* Consumer prices fell a record 4.0 percent in June from a year earlier, giving the BoT leeway to keep rates accommodative.

* The planning agency expected average price changes in 2009 in a range between a fall of 0.5 percent and a rise of 0.5 percent after a 5.5 percent rise in 2008. (Editing by Alan Raybould)

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