bangkok reuters  thailand’s economy is forecast to grow 1 this year down from the 22 projected in july hit by a spike in covid19 cases and a delayed reopening to visitors the world bank said on tuesday as the country fights its biggest virus outbreak to date southeast asia’s secondbiggest economy contracted 61 last year its deepest slump in more than two decades with the crucial tourism sector devastated by the impact of the pandemic the economy is now expected to return to its prepandemic level in 2023 kiatipong ariyapruchya senior world bank economist for thailand told a virtual briefing “the economic recovery to precovid levels will be a year slower than previously expected in 2022” he said adding that was based on an assumption that thailand would reach 70 vaccination rates in the first half of 2022 after recording 40 million foreign tourists in 2019 thailand is now expected to receive only 160000 this year down from the 600000 arrivals projected in july kiatipong said tourist arrivals are seen at 17 million next year when the economy is forecast to grow 36 he added exports and fiscal measures had provided support in the meantime and the world bank backed the government’s lifting of the public debt ceiling to help the economy kiatipong said the world bank’ 2021 economic outlook compared with growth of 13 predicted by the finance ministry and 07 by the central bank