An aerial view shows trees and houses in the aftermath of floods, in Phrae Province, Thailand, on Aug 24, 2024. - Reuters
BANGKOK: Severe flooding in Thailand will not affect economic growth this year, with the impacts of mudslides brought on by monsoon rain likely to be addressed swiftly, its caretaker finance minister said on Monday (Aug 26).
The situation was not as serious as 2011, Pichai Chunhavajira said, referring to Thailand's worst flooding in half a century that devastated the economy.
In the past week, dozens of provinces mostly in the north and northeast were hit by flooding, which has killed 22 people and affected more than 30,000 households, according to authorities.
Pichai also said the appreciation of the baht currency was driven by external factors and may impact export values, but he expected normalisation later.
There was no need for currency measures and the Bank of Thailand was monitoring the exchange rate, he added. - Reuters
