Thailand's economy expands 2.5 pct in Q2

The Thai economy grew at a slower-than-expected pace of 2.5 percent in the second quarter of the year, data showed on Monday.

For the first half of 2022, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 2.4 percent from one year earlier, according to data released by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).

The second-quarter growth, below market expectations of 3.1 percent, accelerated from a rise of 2.3 percent in the first quarter, according to the NESDC data.

The pick-up in the second quarter was driven by improvement in the service sector, partly due to the government's easing of the COVID-19 restrictions and stimulus measures to support tourism, it said.

The NESDC expected the Thai economy to expand in the range of 2.7-3.2 percent for this year.