Tourism stumble risks perfect storm for reeling Thai markets
A shooting tragedy in a Bangkok mall adds to a double-whammy of rising rates and government spending worries that has hammered Thai assets and soured bets on the recovery of Asia's tourism giant. Thai tourism stocks slid 1.6% on Wednesday, dragging the benchmark index to its lowest since January 2021, while a stronger dollar sent the baht to an 11-month low. Foreign selling pressure has been building for weeks, with some $1.65 billion leaving Thai stock and bond markets since the start of September and coming to a head with a surprise rate hike and fiscal spending promises in recent day...