April 18, 2019 - Mr. Vichai Wiratkhapan, the inspector of the Government Housing Bank (GHB) and acting director of the Real Estate Information Center, revealed that the confidence index in the first quarter of 2019 stands at 50.9 points, a slight increase from the previous quarter's 50.4 points. However, when examining each group of operators, it was found that the index for those listed on the stock exchange is at 52.2 points, down from 55.7 points in the previous quarter. Confidence among operators has decreased across all factors but remains above the neutral level of 50 points in almost all areas, except for operational costs.

           “The decline in confidence this quarter may be due to operators still being concerned about the potential impacts of the Loan-to-Value (LTV) regulations issued by the Bank of Thailand (BoT) to maintain financial system stability. Additionally, demand in the market has decreased due to various factors affecting the absorption of unsold supply, which may lead operators to reconsider their plans for new project launches and investments with greater caution,” Mr. Vichai stated.

           For the group of operators not listed on the stock exchange, the index is at 47.7 points. Although this represents a significant increase from the previous quarter's 42.3 points, it still remains below the neutral level of 50 points. This indicates that non-listed companies have improved confidence in their business operations under current conditions, but it remains relatively low due to decreased sales and profits compared to the same period last year.

           Looking ahead, the confidence index for the next six months in the overall first quarter of 2019 is at 58.4, down from 60.5 points in the previous quarter, yet still above the neutral level of 50 points. This shows that operators maintain a positive outlook on the direction of business, anticipating better economic growth opportunities following the establishment of a government.

 

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