BANGKOK: A selloff in the Thai baht, underperforming stocks and pressure on the bond market reflect growing concern from global investors over political instability and the growth outlook in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy, analysts and fund managers say.
Thailand suffered its deepest economic contraction in two decades last quarter and a long haul to recovery looms as the COVID-19 pandemic has hammered its mainstay tourism industry.
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At the same time, the government is facing a student protest movement which is gathering momentum and disruption to its policy agenda by the surprise resignation of Finance Minister Predee Daochai on Tuesday (Sep 1), after less than a month in the job.
"I think no other country has these two or three problems going on at the same time, as if the COVID-19 situation isn't bad enough," said OCBC Bank economist Howie Lee.
READ: Thailand's new finance minister resigns amid economic crisis
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said Predee's exit, for health reasons, would not affect economic plans, but he did not outline a timetable for appointing a new minister.
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The baht fell and has dropped about 0.6 per cent on the dollar since Tuesday on the news, its steepest two-day slide in about two weeks. It now sits where it traded in June despite a slide in the greenback over the past few months.
Thailand's benchmark stock index is down 17 per cent for the year, having suffered foreign outflows in every month till August – lagging a 5 per cent gain in Asian markets.
"The only foreigners left in Thai equities really are the passive investors, the ETFs and the funds which track the index. The active managers are gone," said Jeep Chatikavanij, founder of the Ton Poh Fund which manages US$150 million.
