* Consumer mood drops to five-month low in Dec
* Economy may contract in Q1 – university head
* Says govt will need at least 200 bln baht to help economy (Recasts with estimated virus impact)
BANGKOK, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Thailand’s economy could lose as much as 300 billion baht ($10 billion) in the first quarter after its largest coronavirus outbreak saw consumer mood sink to a five-month low in December, according to the commerce university.
The consumer confidence index dropped for the first time in three months to 50.1 in December – when the new spread was detected – from 52.4 in November, as consumers feared a surge in inflections would hit the economy and jobs, a survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce showed on Thursday.
“If the situation does not improve in January, consumer confidence could drop to a record low over…
