Thai central bank stands pat to assess impact of political instability

BANGKOK -- Thailand's central bank kept the benchmark one-day repurchase rate unchanged at 2.5% at its monetary policy meeting on Wednesday, aiming to balance economic growth and risks as well as evaluating possible political risks that could affect the country's economy.

The decision matched market expectations forecasting the Bank of Thailand would keep the policy rate unchanged as it was expected to spend more time assessing the impact of recent political instability on the economy.According to a Reuters poll, 24 out of 27 economists expected the central bank to stand pat, while the rest saw a 25 basis point rate cut.