Violence in the capital fails to scar economy

For the last nine weeks, as red-shirted protesters have fought to unseat the government, the prevailing image of Thailand has been one of conflict, but its economic indicators have been painting a picture of a country riding a robust wave of recovery. Although the violence has hit the currency and stocks in recent days, the medium-term trends for gross domestic product, markets, investment and consumption are all rising as the economic benefits of export-driven growth drown the drawbacks of political uncertainty.