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Published on August 6, 2007

And if the orbit of heavenly bodies tells us anything, hold your breath. Jessada Loha-ounjit, an economist and astrologer, has predicted that Thailand may face another financial crisis in 2009.

In two years, Pluto will cross paths with Uranus, considered a deadly position.

So Jessada said that Thailand might suffer another financial crisis, although its severity might be much less than the horrendous one in 1997.

And this year is not a good year for Thailand either, born under the sign of Aries.

Jessada was speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at a seminar on Friday. The audience was eager to listen to what he had to say. They were desperate for information, as economic theories cannot give them a proper explanation.

For instance, the rise of the baht against the greenback and the inflow of foreign capital did not translate into positive economic sentiment.

Jessada, former chief of MFC Asset Management, warned investors that it was too early to celebrate the recent inflow of capital. He said that economic performance was on the way down, especially in September, when another wave of foreign capital outflows was expected.

The stars tell us that financial and money-instrument markets are set to experience volatility from November to February next year as Saturn, the supportive star of Thailand, loses its influence to the rise of Pluto, which is not so friendly.

The moment of truth for Thailand will come in 2009 when Pluto goes inside the orbit of Uranus. Whenever the two planets cross paths, Thailand becomes mired in bad luck. However, the length of the bad luck should not be as long as the 1997 crisis.

As for the future of the current government, Jessada said the star alignment of its life would cease to exist in September. Therefore the general election will likely happen.

Now, we'll let our readers decide whether all these predictions will come true. Our reporter on the scene didn't say whether the stars told us anything about the outcome of August 19 referendum.

Jeerawat@nationgroup.com