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Thai Minister: Government To Stay In Power At Least 1 More Year



BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)- Thai Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said Monday that he believes the government will be able to stay in power for at least one more year, a development he said would boost the credibility of the current administration in trade and investment negotiations with foreign countries.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had said that he will likely call for early elections once the economy has regained a solid footing, but he didn't specify a time frame.

Thailand has been plagued by political uncertainty in recent years, with four different administrations taking power since a bloodless coup in 2006 that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an economic seminar, Korn reiterated that the country's gross domestic product will swing to on-year growth in the fourth quarter as exports, tourism, and business confidences have all picked up.

Among risk factors weighing on the country's growth prospects are uncertainties over the recovery of the global economy and domestic political instability, he said.

-By Piyarat Setthasiriphaiboon, Dow Jones Newswires; 662-266-0744; piyarat.setthasiriphaiboon@dowjones.com


  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  11-30-090608ET
  Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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