Thailand's trade surplus not from baht manipulation

BANGKOK, May 16 (TNA) - The Bank of Thailand (BOT) says that the country's surplus in its trade with the United States and in its current account has not come from the central bank's manipulation of the baht. BOT Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob made the public remarks on Thursday, in response to reports that Washington may add Thailand on its "watch list" for countries alleged of manipulating their national currencies. "Thailand's trade surplus with the United States has not resulted from the BOT's manipulation of the Thai baht", Veerathai stressed. The BOT governor affirmed, however, that there would be no impact on Thailand's financial policy, implemented by his central bank, even if the US government added the Thai Kingdom on such the watch list. There have been reports that Washington is considering to add 20-25 nations on its watch list for countries alleged of manipulating their national currencies, probably including Thailand, from 13 countries currently. (TNA)