Index Living Mall, Thailand’s largest retail furniture and home-decoration chain, will freeze expansion in 2010 for the second year running. Managing director Jarinthorn Patamasatayasonthi said the prolonged delay was due to the continuing economic and political instability, which was expected to make 2010 another difficult year.

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No new Index Living Malls in 2010 for second year in a row

Doing business in Thailand

Recent crashes in Thailand’s GDP and export markets, plus the drop in tourism fuelled by recession and last year’s domestic political turmoil, have dispelled illusions that the country is insulated from the effects of the global downturn. Numerous indicators of economic health are hitting the red, foreign investment is evaporating, unemployment is surging, and credit lines are freezing up. Thailand’s government still says there is a possibility of positive growth this year, despite facing a rougher ride than in the 1997 Asian financial crisis as conditions infest the real economy on a broader scale.

Infrastructure plays a crucial role in economic development and enrichment of living standards. Various stages of economic development require different levels of infrastructure upgrades or enhancements to ensure infrastructure in fact facilitates economic activities. Thailand has been facing a series of infrastructure challenges, both new and well-established. To name a few: there is a need for infrastructure services to catch up with economic development and international competition, manage the growth in urban areas, respond to global energy prices, and ensure basic services for the poor.