CIMB Thai Bank Public Company LimitedPrivate± Mixed
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Dr. Amonthep Chawla, Assistant Managing Director and Head of Research at CIMB Thai Bank, said Thailand's second-quarter 2026 GDP growth of only 1.9% year on year, while better than expected, remains worrying because the recovery ahead will not be good without continued support measures. He pointed out that the construction sector has kept deteriorating sharply, with no major projects from either the public or private sector, and if the Thai Chuay Thai Plus measures end, the Thai economy could nosedive. He compared that Malaysia grew 6%, Singapore grew 5.9%, Indonesia grew 5.3%, and Vietnam grew more than 8%, while Thailand can grow at best only around 2%, raising concern that foreign companies may relocate their production bases. Dr. Amonthep proposed that the government find measures to create jobs and careers rather than hand out cash, and consider whether to use painkillers to keep the patient going or perform major surgery to fix structural problems.