The finance sector showed a decreasing trend from 1997 to 2001: 1,148 words in
1997, 1,026 words to 1999, and 909 in 2001. In 1996, the Thai economy began to
slow down, a clear signal coming from the export sector which, after several years
of growth averaging more than 20 percent, actually shrank a little for the first time.
This trend continued into the first half of 1997. Meanwhile, various businesses
failed to meet their foreign debt obligations. This prompted foreign investors to
begin to lose confidence, affecting a massive outflow of funds from the second
quarter. Furthermore, 58 finance companies were ordered to temporarily suspend
their operation in the middle of the year without clear corrective measures