Earlier this month, the central bank kept its exchange-rate based monetary policy unchanged, even as growth picked up in the third quarter. The MAS said overall labour demand is expected to improve in the near term, supported by hiring in services-related sectors. "Nevertheless, previously accumulated slack in the labour market will take time to be absorbed, and the unemployment rate will likely remain close to its current level in the near term. The MAS reiterated its existing inflation forecasts, saying core inflation is expected to come in at around 1.5% in 2017 and average 1-2% next year. It added that CPI all-items inflation is likely to be around 0.5% in 2017 and stay within a range of 0-1% in 2018.

Source: Bangkok Post October 27, 2017 05:26 UTC