Thai central bank leaves policy rate unchanged at record low, as expected

[BANGKOK] Thailand's central bank left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low for a second straight meeting on Wednesday, as widely expected, on signs of improvement in the economy after the easing of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep the one-day repurchase rate steady at a record low of 0.50 per cent, after having cut it three times this year to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on tourism and domestic consumption.

In a Reuters poll, 16 of 18 economists had predicted no policy change while the rest forecast a quarter-point cut.

REUTERS