Bank of Thailand holds interest rate at 1.75 percent hinh anh 1The Bank of Thailand (BoT) on May 8 held its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a third straight meeting.(Photo: bangkokpost.com)

Bangkok (VNA) - The Bank of Thailand (BoT) on May 8 held its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a third straight meeting, as widely expected, saying monetary policy remained accommodative while risks to financial stability remained.

The bank, which in December last year raised the benchmark for the first time since 2011, voted unanimously to keep the one-day repurchase rate at 1.75 percent - half a point above the record low. 

All 19 economists polled by Reuters predicted the May 8's hold, and most see no change for the rest of the year. 

The bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said the Thai economy "would expand at a slower pace" this year than its latest forecast of 3.8 percent. 

“Overall financial conditions remained accommodative and conductive to economic growth... there were risks to financial stability in the future that warranted continued monitoring," it said.-VNA
VNA