Asoke junction along Sukhumvit Road, usually jammed with traffic, is dead as people work from home during the lockdown. However, the FPO expects the situation to improve in 2022 as the business sector gradually returns to normalcy, leading to economic expansion of 4-5%. That is weak considering it's a year-on-year comparison and in 2020 the Thai economy contracted 6.1%, the most in two decades. Total cases rose to 561,030, of which 95% have come since the latest wave began in April, official data show. "There's now increasing chatter the Thai economy will contract again this year," said Maria Lapiz, managing director of Maybank Kim Eng Securities Thailand.

Source: Bangkok Post July 29, 2021 23:15 UTC