Investors and companies return to Thailand after deadly protests.

• Thai violence doesn’t frighten Swedish firms
• Bangkok violence far from over: analysts

Swedish investors and companies return to the Thai market as the country’s economy has rebounded and the deadly political protests seem to have came to an end, at least for now.

“The Thai Economy has rebounded strongly thanks to the record high exports”, Håkan Nylander, head of the Swedish Trade Council in Southeast Asia, told The Swedish Wire.

Thailand's economy grew at breakneck pace early this year. But the deadly unrest that began in March was expected to clip the country’s full-year economic performance.

Today, the situation is all but gloomy. Thailand’s exports jumped 47.1 percent in June from a year earlier to a record $17.9 billion, the central bank said, and automakers Ford Motor, General Motors and Mitsubishi Motors all plan to build factories in Thailand.

Also more Swedish companies eye Thailand as an attractive market for export and production.

“The Swedish Trade Council (Exportrådet) has also seen a higher interest from Swedish companies to invest in the Thai market”, said Håkan Nylander, who is based in Bangkok. “Several companies are currently expanding their presence by hiring new staff, expanding distribution networks and searching for new suppliers”.

Most larger Swedish companies operating in Thailand are manufacturing companies focusing on the export markets. The life science has emerged as one of the most promising sectors for Swedish companies exporting to Thailand, according to Håkan Nylander.

The quick recovery has made several institutes change their growth projections for the Thai economy to be around 5-6 percent this year compared to earlier projections of 3-4 percent.

The Bangkok stock has gained 18 percent this year, overtaking Indonesia as the best performer among the region’s biggest markets.

“Foreigners are starting to invest in Thai equities again on strong earnings and economic growth,” Supakorn Soontornkit, chief investment officer at MFC Asset Management Pcl, told Bloomberg. “The return of overseas investors will be the main factor driving share prices.”