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The Thai economy runs on a single engine: external demand. The economic roller coaster since the onset of the global financial crisis can be overwhelmingly attributed to fluctuations in the output of three sectors most sensitive to external demand: manufacturing, logistics (transportation and storage), and tourism (hotels and restaurants). As global trade contracted between the fourth quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009, Thailand's real gross domestic product (GDP) fell 6.3 percent, before rebounding 6.9 percent through the end of 2009 on a revival in actual and expected external demand. At the end of 2009, real GDP was back to pre-crisis levels, as measured in seasonally adjusted terms. For 2009 as a whole, however, real GDP fell 2.2 percent. The dominance of sectors linked to external demand over Thailand's growth dynamics is not new. Both sets of sectors grew at about the same pace prior to the 1997 financial crisis. However, a structural break took place in the aftermath of the crisis, when sectors linked to external demand grew an average of 6.1 percent between 2001 and 2007 compared to a 4.3 percent growth rate of other sectors. While the sectors linked to external demand are expected to grow below the historical average in the near term due to lower growth in demand from advanced economies, a reversal of the structural change observed since 1998 is unlikely. This will require an acceleration of the growth of the sectors linked to domestic demand. But the constraints that limited the growth of these sectors in the past not only remain but have been compounded in the near term by the escalation of the political conflict. This will ensure that growth rates in sectors linked to domestic demand will also remain below their (already low) historical averages and the dominance of external demand on the economy will continue to increase.

The period of the COVID-19 pandemic will be marked and remembered. It will certainly be known for the ongoing health crisis that has reverberated across the world, leading to significant social impacts, rising inequality and poverty rates, and the steepest recession in Europe since World War II. It could, however, also be known as the trigger for a shift towards policies that will enhance developmental and environmental outcomes. With economies at a crossroads, it is up to governments to make this shift happen. Countries in Europe will need to ensure a green, resilient and inclusive recovery. This report explores the impacts of COVID-19 on inclusive growth and considers the policies that are needed to strengthen resilience and to ensure that inclusivity is woven into the fabric of societies.

Europe's position in the post-crisis world economy depends on the ability of its firms to carry through effective global export and production strategies. New data from 15,000 firms in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom show that firm size, productivity, skill intensity and the ability to innovate are associated with better export performance and internationalisation, either through foreign direct investment or outsourcing. Export and foreign production are complementary, particularly for entry into fast-growing emerging markets. But foreign production involves high entry costs and is extremely demanding in managerial, organisational and technological terms,. Firms can improve their competitive skills in the European single market, but competing in the next few years will require more than just exporting to neighbouring EU countries

It provides a comprehensive summary of the current status of national health and health systems including; mortality and burden of disease, causes of death, reported infectious diseases, health service coverage, risk factors, health systems resources, health expenditures, inequities and demographic and socioeconomic statistics