Thai Military Bank (TMB)’s research unit, TMB Analytics, says that Thailand’s Entrepreneurial Confidence Index (ECI) in Q1 continues to drop due to concerns about the country’s internal politics and economy.
Benjarong Suwankiri, TMB director of economic analysis, said the ECI in Q1 stood at 37.6, down from 40.9 in Q4 last year. She said the latest index is considered at a low level, for entrepreneurs lacked confidence on their businesses’ revenues.
The ECI in the next three months also dropped from the last quarter from 58 to stand at 51.
She said entrepreneurs were most concerned about the political factor, particularly those coming in Q2 when mass rallies will be held by both the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) and the pro-government United Front For Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), in tandem with court verdicts for political cases scheduled this month.
Entrepreneurs are also stressed due to the country’s economic slowdown as seen by the related index standing at 41 per cent in March, down from 26 per cent in January.
