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...

As if it were still necessary, events unfolding in Asia for over a year reconfirm the critical importance of a sound, efficient financial sector for economic development and growth. Indeed, a growing number of studies underscore the risks that a vulnerable financial sector pose for macroeconomic...