IMF Says Thai Fiscal Support, Rate Cut Needed For Tepid Economy

Thailand needs a “carefully calibrated” mix of policies to support a slowing economy, the International Monetary Fund said, urging targeted fiscal support with additional monetary easing.

While monetary policy shifts should remain data dependent, there is a scope for further monetary easing as the real interest rate remains elevated despite the policy rate cuts, the IMF said in its latest Article IV consultation. Fiscal and monetary policies may help to a certain degree, but structural reforms are needed to reverse tepid growth, it said.