BANGKOK: -- The baht currency appreciated to 33.13 to the US dollar on Monday, its strongest showing in 10 years against a continuously weakening greenback.
Currency dealers at Bank of Ayudhya predicted that the baht would further strengthen to 33 to the dollar soon. The US dollar is weaker because of concerns about a US economic slowdown.
The latest US trade figures showed that in November the country experienced a trade deficit of US$6.3 billion, the highest in 14 months, since imports, particularly of fuel, had increased.
At the same time, the country's exports edged up by 0.4 per cent, hitting a record one-month high boosted by the weaker US dollar.
Meanwhile, the Stock Exchange of Thailand's composite index continued to drop in the morning trading session in the same direction with other regional markets.
It opened lower and fell below a support level of 790 points, but recouped its loss and closed at 791.30, down 5.17 or 0.65 per cent, with a thin trading volume of 4.95 billion baht.
--TNA 2008-01-14