Thai Finance Minister Chairs Currency Meeting

BANGKOK, May 13 (TNA) - Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong chaired a top-level business meeting Monday in an effort to discuss handling of the baht appreciation. Present were Prasarn Trairatvorakul, governor of the Bank of Thailand, representatives of the Monetary Policy Committee, the secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board, and the permanent secretaries of the ministries of commerce and finance. Representatives of the private sector were the chairs of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai Bankers’ Association. FTI chairman Payungsak Chartsutipol said he had expected positive development from the cooperation, and swift action could be taken to keep the baht value close to other currencies in the region. The FTI chairman also said the baht value had declined and approached the rate of 30 baht per US dollar, which could help improve Thai exports in the second quarter of this year compared with the first quarter when exports grew by 4.3%. (TNA)