Ikea postpones Thailand move
Ikea, the Swedish retailer known around the world for its flatpack furniture, has put plans to expand into Thailand firmly on the shelf amid an increasingly uncertain environment for multinational investors.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the lingering after-effects of last year's military coup and a series of tougher laws on foreign ownership have prompted Ikea to postpone a move into one of south-east Asia's most important economies.

The delay reflects growing nervousness among overseas investors following Draconian revisions to Thailand's Foreign Business Act and the publication of draft legislation covering the retail sector which may have a serious impact on Tesco and Carrefour, the French supermarkets group.