Strong Baht Sparks Alarm Among Thailand’s Top Economic Officials

Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister discussed attracting foreign investment, the Bank of Thailand and the country’s economy outlook. He spoke with Bloomberg’s Haslinda Amin on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.Source: Bloomberg

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By Suttinee (Ying) Yuvejwattana and Randy Thanthong-Knight

January 21, 2026 at 9:19 AM UTC

Top Thai economic officials sounded alarm over the baht’s surge to a five-year high, with the finance minister calling it a “very big concern” and the central bank chief saying that efforts to rein in the currency have had limited impact.

“Thailand is a small, open economy and we’re a net-export country, so baht appreciation affects our economy,” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said in a Bloomberg TV interview with Haslinda Amin on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos Wednesday.