Financial reforms in Thailand : a critical analysis

• Main Authors: Ang, Catherine Lay Eng, Lee, Lian Tuck, Low, Wei Min
• Other Authors: Ng Boey Kui
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business::Finance
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/62979
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

It is a known fact that developing a financial system is a fundamental pre-requisite for any economic development. Thailand, being no exception, had also growing towards this objective. Although Thailand had achieved good economic performance for the past few decades, it also had its fair share of problems which essentially required the relevant authorities in Thailand to implement certain kinds financial reforms. The widening of the savings-investment gap and the over-reliance of government and private companies on debt finance which led to an imbalanced capital structure, high debt-equity ratio and financial vulnerability were the main concerns. This various weaknesses that existed at that time in the financial sector clearly indicated Thailand's need for reform. Therefore the main aim of the financial reform is to improve the mobilization of funds and allocation of credit, enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy and nurture a highly efficient capital market. Experience from other countries which have gone through similar reforms that Thailand is presently undergoing shows that financial liberalization is no easy task. Reforms is usually accompanied by adjustment problems with varying degrees of seriousness. Therefor it is very important for Thailand to exercise control over such reforms so as to prevent undesirable developments in the financial system and also ensure that its objectives are duly met and strictly adhered to.