Full recovery "could take six to 12 months"

       Full economic recovery will likely take six to 12 months, as government stimulus spending begins in earnest in the fourth quarter, says M.R. Chatumongol Sonakul,the chairman of the Bank of Thailand.
       He said exports had begun to improve with the global economy, but cautioned against hopes of a sharp turnaround.
       "It will likely take six to 12 months before the Thai economy fully recovers.The contraction in consumption, in-vestment and imports will gradually decline, while exports gradually improve.It probably won't be until late this year before the government's stimulus funds enter the economy," he said.
       The government has earmarked nearly 1.5 trillion baht for the three-year Strong Thailand investment programme.
       M.R. Chatumongol played down fears of a "double-dip recession", saying he believed the worst was over for the crisis.