The Bank of Thailand's governor on Friday stressed the need for central bank independence in setting monetary policy amid a lengthy disagreement with the government over whether or not interest rates should be cut to support the economy.

European markets were poised to open lower Friday as investors digested a slew of central bank rate decisions this week and their impact on the global economy.

Taiwan’s central bank held rates steady with a watchful eye on inflation, declining to join the Federal Reserve and a growing number of its Asian counterparts in starting to ease monetary policy.