Bittersweet retail holiday in Thailand

The Thai economy may not have fully recovered, but a survey shows locals still plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Saturday, the same as lovebirds scattered around the world.

This year Thais are likely to be more cautious with their spending, said Thanavath Phonvichai, vice-president for research at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

The centre surveyed 1,255 people nationwide recently and found they plan to spend an average of THB1,900 (USD58) a person on Valentine’s Day.