IMF picks Thailand for regional office
Thailand has been chosen by the International Monetary Fund for its technical-assistance office for Myanmar and Laos because of its strategic location in Southeast Asia and connectivity with all of its regional counterparts.
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde and Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to open the Thailand Technical Assistance Office.
The BOT said it was pleased to collaborate with and provide full support to the IMF in planning and implementing programmes for Thailand’s neighbouring countries. The office will be in the BOT complex and will start operations in September.
An IMF officer told The Nation that this office would be manned by one representative from the organisation, with two Thai assistants. Operational details will be finalised after discussions with Myanmar and Laos over the kind of assistance they are seeking.
A joint statement said the opening of the office underscored the BOT’s contribution to the IMF.
The objective of the office is to provide technical assistance and capacity building in various areas such as monetary policy and financial-institution supervisory policy for the subregion. Technical cooperation, in particular, is directed towards Laos and Myanmar, which are undergoing economic and financial reforms.
