Thai economic growth close to 4% this year

[BANGKOK] Thai economic growth will be close to 4 per cent this year and its "full economic growth potential" is 4-5 per cent, the finance minister said on Thursday.

"What we have been doing is bearing fruit, and this year we should get at least 3.8-3.9 per cent growth. We are not happy about that yet... but we will be if we get 4 percent growth,"Apisak Tantivorawong told reporters.

He also said growth in the July-September period is estimated at 4 per cent from a year earlier. Official GDP data is due on Nov 20.

On Monday, the ministry raised its economic growth forecast for this year to 3.8 per cent from 3.6 percent.

Growth in Southeast Asia-second-largest economy was 3.2 per cent last year.

REUTERS