Thailand makes fourth interest cut in 10 months

The central bank has said the Thai economy might have grown about 3% annually in the second quarter of 2025 but would feel the impact of US tariffs and weakening consumption later this year.

Illustrative image (Photo: AFP)
Illustrative image (Photo: AFP)

Bangkok (VNA) – The Bank of Thailand (BOT) lowered its policy rate by a quarter point on August 13, its fourth cut in 10 months, to support a sluggish economy grappling with falling prices and the impact of US tariffs.

The BOT’s Monetary Policy Committee unanimously voted to cut the one-day repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 1.5%, the lowest in more than two years.

The central bank has said the economy might have grown about 3% annually in the second quarter of 2025 but would feel the impact of US tariffs and weakening consumption later this year.

The economy was expected to expand this year and next, close to earlier assessments, but US trade policies would exacerbate structural problems and weaken competitiveness, with small businesses vulnerable, the BOT said in a statement./.

VNA

See more

Malaysia busts massive drug syndicate

Malaysia busts massive drug syndicate

An international drug syndicate was busted after Malaysian police seized over 18 tonnes of drugs worth nearly 375 million USD in one of the country’s biggest drug busts on record.

Indonesia will not import rice for either consumption or industrial use next year. (Photo: tempo.co)

Indonesia to stop rice imports next year

Indonesia's rice production in 2025 is projected to reach 34.77 million tonnes, up 13.54% year on year, driven by favourable weather and farmer support policies under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

Distinctive festivals across Indonesia attract international visitors. (Photo published by VNA)

Indonesia identifies 15 priority tourism markets for 2025–2026

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Tourism, the number of tourists from Malaysia reached 2.18 million in the January-October 2025 period, showing a growth of 15.91% compared to last year. Meanwhile, the number of visitors from Singapore totaled 1.19 million this year, growing by 7.66% from 2024.

The 8th Cooperative Plan Meeting between the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR, December 17, Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: nationalthailan.com)

Thailand, Laos aim to boost bilateral trade

Laos is Thailand’s 7th largest trading partner in ASEAN and 18th globally. From January to October 2025, two-way trade grew by 18.65% to 8.18 billion USD, with Thai exports increasing by 16.90% to 4.81 billion USD and imports rising by 21.23% to 3.60 billion USD.

File photo of Visa and Mastercard credit cards. (Photo: AP)

Unpaid credit card balances in Singapore hit record high in 10 years

Experts attributed the worrying trend to factors like people not spending within their means, consumer culture emphasising prestige items, and easier access to credit like “buy now, pay later” services. Analysts said this can be a hint of growing financial pressures faced by Singaporeans amid rising prices.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (Photo: Bernama)

Malaysia accelerates clean energy transition

Delivering a speech at the Clean Energy Transition Asia (CETA) Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Fadillah, who is also the energy transition and water transformation minister, said that the Southeast Asian region now drives more than half of the global energy demand.