Asian Currency Crises: Do Fundamentals still Matter? A Markov-Switching Approach to Causes and Timing

This paper examines the extent to which the Asian currency crises can be accounted for by the macroeconomic fundamentals suggested by first and second generation models, exclusive of the ideas of the third generation models. In doing so we extend the literature on the earlier models by using GARCH and Path Independent Markov-Switching GARCH models to explain the market pressure on the exchange rate, and the probability of the timing of a crisis. In addition, we account for appreciations of the exchange rate. Our empirical estimates for Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand confirm that macroeconomic variables can explain the crises and the probability of occurrence at any time, dominating the conventionally used logit model.