Two decades ago, Thailand became ground zero of the Asia financial crisis, when its government scrapped a dollar peg with the baht, a devaluation that unleashed a wave of speculative attacks on other regional currencies and shook the global economy. Now, the baht is again posing challenges for Thailand--but this time because it may be too strong.
Near-record foreign exchange reserves and a current-account surplus have burnished the baht’s appeal as a regional haven and attracted foreign capital to Thai bonds. The currency is the strongest performer in Southeast Asia in the past year. The super baht, however, is a complication for policy makers trying to nurture a recovery in an economy where exports account for about 70 percent of gross domestic product.
