The SET 50 index fell more than 1% toward 690 on Thursday, sliding toward its lowest levels since March 2020, as rising political tensions weighed on sentiment. The withdrawal of the coalition’s second-largest party dealt a major blow to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who now faces calls to resign after accusing her own military of fueling a border dispute with Cambodia.
The crisis deepened following the release of an audio recording between Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. Meanwhile, Thai authorities are preparing to launch a “corporate value enhancement program” later this month, seen as a key effort to restore investor confidence amid weak market performance and declining participation. The benchmark index has now fallen about 23% this year. Losses were broad-based across the bourse, with notable declines from Advanced Info Service (-2.2%), Gulf Energy Development (-3.1%), CP All (-3.9%), and Bangkok Dusit (-2.9%).
