Thailand's economic crisis in 1997 was fundamentally one of private sector debt, rooted in private behavior that affected the magnitude and composition of investment and how it was financed. Thailand's crisis provides further evidence that financial liberalization must be carefully managed...

During a crisis of confidence, announcements of deposit guarantees may give market participants short-term confort. But stock market responses show that using public funds for bank bailouts is not a credible way to restore the health of the financial sector

The behavior of actors in financial systems depends crucially on the incentives that motivate them. The right regulation, supervision, and incentives (including the scope of permissible activities, degree of contestability, and extent of safety net) for financial services can make the sector...