Thai Baht rises to 5-week high as opposition leads vote

Thai Baht rises to 5-week high as opposition leads vote

Pro-democracy groups are poised to oust the decade-old, military-backed government.

The baht climbed 0.9% to 33.70 per dollar on Monday, the highest since April 5. (Reuters pic)
BANGKOK:
The Thai baht advanced to the highest in more than five weeks after opposition parties emerged as the biggest winners from elections over the weekend.

The baht climbed 0.9% to 33.70 per dollar on Monday, the highest since April 5. Pro-democracy parties Move Forward and Pheu Thai looked set to win the majority of seats, putting them on course to wrest power from a military-backed government that has ruled for almost a decade.

“There is a tendency for the Thai baht to strengthen in the weeks following an election,” said Khoon Goh, head of Asia research at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd in Singapore. “Should history repeat, we can expect USD/THB to head lower and potentially test support at the 33.5 level.”

The baht, which is among the top performer in emerging Asia this year, may get a further boost as data due Monday is forecast to show the economy expanded at a faster pace last quarter.

The gross domestic product probably rose 2.3% from a year ago, according to a Bloomberg survey.

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