Thailand expects two-digit export growth in 2013

BANGKOK, November 27 (TNA) - The Ministry of Commerce expects a two-digit growth for Thailand's exports next year; while maintaining its projection of the country's export expansion at 4.5-5 per cent year-on-year at the end of this year. Srirat Rastapana, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Export Promotion, said on Monday that Thai commercial counsellors stationed overseas and senior officials of concerned agencies are scheduled to hold a three-day meeting, from November 28-30, to discuss Thailand's exports and to seek ways to boost the country's export growth to meet a two-digit number in 2013, as targeted. Srirat said Thai exports last month totaled over 19.50 billion US dollars, up 15.57 per cent from the corresponding period last year, resulting in the country's export growth during the first 10 months of this year beginning to positively grow by 0.34 per cent year-on-year, boosted by rising demand for goods ahead of the annual Christmas and New Year celebrations. The senior official assessed that Thailand’s overall exports in 2012 should, therefore, expand by 4.5–5 per cent on average. Meanwhile, the National Economic and Social Development Board or NESDB reported that Thailand’s employment in the third quarter of this year rose by 0.6 per cent year-on-year due to an increase in investment by the government and the recovering Thai property sector, in the wake of the country's massive flooding late last year, while the Kingdom's unemployment in the July-September 2012 period declined slightly to 0.58 per cent year-on-year. (TNA)