Thailand's Q2 growth rides on strong exports to beat forecast

Bangkok

THAILAND'S economy capped a solid performance for South-east Asia in the second quarter, growing at its fastest clip in over four years thanks to strong exports - a common denominator for many countries still struggling to boost private consumption despite ultra-low interest rates.

Robust tourism and farm output also helped Thailand's growth beat market expectations in the April-June quarter, prompting the government to raise its economic forecasts in a sign the recovery is gaining momentum.

South-east Asia's second-largest economy joins a host of other countries in the region, i…