3.6% GDP growth seen on spending, infra investments

“We estimate the country’s GDP’s growth at 3.1 per cent to 4.1 per cent this year. 
“That will be better than the country’s economy growth of about 3.2 per cent last year,” Krisada Chinavicharana, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office of the Finance Ministry, told a press conference yesterday.
The economic growth forecast is based on the government’s spending this year, which will be the engine to drive the country’s economy. 
The country’s spending budget this year will be higher than last year’s Bt190 billion. 
Most of the government’s infrastructure investment plan such as the double rail system, mass transit system in Greater Bangkok, motorway and international airport will drive the country’s economy this year.
The agriculture sector also has signs |of recovering this year following the signs of rises in global agriculture product prices.
The country’s export sector has signs |of recovering this year when most |import countries have their economy recovering. 

Imports 
That will boost demand for imports from Thailand, which will surpass last year’s .
The tourism industry also has continued to grow strongly this year compared with last year. 
This is a challenge for the country’s economic growth this year to be better than last year.
The office forecasts inflation at about 1.8 per cent this year, ranging from 1.3 per cent-2.3 per cent, he said.
“However, our estimate has to be concerned about economic risk. 
“It has to closely monitor what may impact our estimate, especially the new economic policy of the new USA President Donald Trump, and global economic growth this year. 
They will be the major factor’s impacting on the country’s economic growth this year.
The office estimates the country’s economic growth at about 3.2 per cent last year or better than the 2.8 per cent seen in 2015. 
This is thanks to the government’s acceleration of spending the budget and start to investing in some infrastructure projects in the seond half of last year. 
Some companies also started expanding their investment in the last quarter of last year, while inflation in 2016 will show only 0.2 per cent, he said.