BANGKOK: Thailand's joint business group on Wednesday lowered its growth forecast to 1.5-3.5% this year, from 2.0-4.0% projected last month, saying the country's new coronavirus outbreak, its most severe yet, will hamper an economic recovery.
The downgrade is based on an assumption that the new epidemic is controlled within three months and the government accelerates some 200 billion baht ($6.7 billion) of support measures, Kalin Sarasin, chairman of the joint business group on commerce, industry and banking, told a briefing.