The mass of red-shirted protesters in Bangkok is not a serious concern for foreign investors, assured Korn Chatikavanij, the Thai finance minister, at Credit Suisse's Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong yesterday.
Two weeks of protests by supporters of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra have raised fears of a return to violence and political upheaval, but Korn said that the demonstrations remain peaceful and are under control. Broadly speaking, we're not seeing any signs yet that investors are staying away because of the political situation, he added.
Korn went on to soothe the fears of the investment community not so much with his words, but simply with his presence. A former investment banker who once...