By Thai Newsroom Reporters THE PHEU THAI-LED GOVERNMENT is putting forward mutually contradictory populist campaigns which will immensely increase public debt and compromise their financial and treasury disciplines, said an opposition MP today (Nov.30). Move Forward MP Nattapong Ruangpanyawudhi said the Pheu Thai-led coalition government plans to borrow a sum of 500 billion baht
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GDP forecast to rise 3.8% partly due to digital wallet campaign
By Thai Newsroom Reporters THAILAND’S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT is forecast to rise 3.8% next year partly due to the Pheu Thai-initiated digital wallet campaign, the Bank of Thailand’s assistant governor Piti Disyatat said today (Nov.29). Without the much-heralded digital wallet project under which a sum of 500 billion baht will be spent up by
Read morePM declares war against loan sharks
By Thai Newsroom Reporters PRIME MINISTER SRETTHA Thavisin today (Nov.28) declared war on loan sharks and vowed to salvage the people who may currently owe debt to them. Calling informal, illicit loans the masters of “Modern World Slavery”, the prime minister said the people nationwide are believed to have a combined sum of no
Read moreGovt personnel’s startup salary upped to 18,000 baht a month
By Thai Newsroom Reporters ALL NEWLY-EMPLOYED GOVERNMENT personnel will earn a sum of 18,000 baht in startup salary per month, beginning in the middle of next year. The Pheu Thai-led cabinet today (Nov.28) approved a raise in the government personnel’s startup salary from 15,000 baht to 18,000 baht a month to be effective after
Read moreMakro cooperating with DSI in contraband pork probe
THE MANAGEMENT of Makro cash & carry stores said today (Nov. 27) they were cooperating with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) which is investigating the smuggling and distribution of contraband pork, Matichon newspaper said. A DSI team visited Makro’s head office and were given full details on the process of purchasing pork, product
Read moreTax refund backed shopping sprees by well-to-do to kick off soon
By Thai Newsroom Reporters DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION will likely grow due to anticipated shopping sprees by well-to-do people, given a tax refund campaign during an early part of next year, confirmed Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat today (Nov.27). Given the “easy e-receipt” campaign, earlier called the “e-refund” campaign, all Thai nationals aged 16 and over
Read moreBTS joins partners in launching E-motorcycles for bike taxi riders
IN A move to help resolve environmental problems BTS Group Holdings Plc announced today (Nov. 24) that it is gearing up to launch a new business with its partners to promote the use of E-motorcycles among bike taxi riders throughout Bangkok, Matichon newspaper said. Mr. Keeree Kanjanapas, BTS Group Holdings Plc board chairman, said
Read moreEx-minister likely to deny link to smuggling of pork, entrails: Varawut
By Thai Newsroom Reporters FORMER DEPUTY AGRICULTURE & cooperatives minister Prapat Bhothasuthon is sooner than later bound to categorically deny allegations that he had been involved in the smuggling and illegal trading of pork and entrails, said Chart Thai leader Varawut Silpa-archa today (Nov.21). Varawut, who concurrently performs as social development & human security
Read moreThai Q3 GDP grows 1.5% y/y, below forecast
THAILAND’S economy expanded 1.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, official data showed today (Nov. 20), slower than expectations. On a quarterly basis, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy grew a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent in the July-September quarter, data from the National Economic and Social Development Council showed. Economists in a Reuters
Read moreMost disagree with borrowing 500 billion baht to fund digital wallet: Poll
By Thai Newsroom Reporters MOST PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FOUND to disagree to the Pheu Thai-led government’s plan to borrow as much as 500 billion baht in loan to fund the much-heralded, yet contentious digital wallet project, says a NIDA poll released today (Nov.19). According to the poll recently conducted among a total of 1,310
Read morePrayut’s party calls for setting up legal casinos
THE DEPUTY leader of Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party, which is de facto led by former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, today (Nov. 18) called for the setting up of legal casinos in Thailand as means of helping the country emerge from an economic downturn, Matichon newspaper said. Mr. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the party’s deputy leader
Read more3.48 trillion baht budget for 2024 due for cabinet nod
By Thai Newsroom Reporters A 3.48 TRILLION BAHT budget for fiscal 2024 will be submitted for cabinet approval next week, a government official said today (Nov.15). Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is scheduled to chair next Tuesday’s cabinet meeting to pass the 2024 budget bill prepared by the Budget Bureau and then forward it to
Read moreNo Plan B for digital wallet campaign: Julapun
By Thai Newsroom Reporters DEPUTY FINANCE MINISTER Julapun Amornvivat said today (Nov.15) the Pheu Thai-led government has no such thing as a Plan B which might otherwise be applied in lieu of the contentious digital wallet campaign. Julapun was apparently responding to the advice earlier given by Move Forward leader Chaithawat Tulathon that the
Read moreTesla eying three locations for possible factory in Thailand: PM
PRIME Minister Srettha Thavisin said Tesla, Inc. is looking at three locations in Thailand to possibly set up a factory for the production of electric vehicles here with a decision to be made early next year, Matichon newspaper said today (Nov. 14). Speaking at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco where he is attending
Read moreRice farmers to get 1,000 baht subsidy per rai
By Thai Newsroom Reporters RICE FARMERS IN ALL parts of the country will be given 1,000 baht in government subsidy for each rai of their crop within a one-month period from now. The cabinet today (Nov.14) approved the Pheu Thai-led government’s measure to grant 1,000 baht in subsidy per rai of rice farm to
Read moreRetailers Assn. keen on moving up digital wallet project by a month
By Thai Newsroom Reporters THE THAI RETAILERS Association today (Nov.13) advised the Pheu Thai-led government’s 10,000-baht digital wallet project to get started a month sooner than scheduled to better boost domestic consumption. Thai Retailers Association head Yon Pokhasap suggested the populist handout campaign scheduled to begin next May be moved up to next April
Read moreSudarat lashes out at PM over digital wallet project
By Thai Newsroom Reporters THAI SANG THAI leader Sudarat Keyurapan has taken Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to task over the Pheu Thai-led government’s populist digital wallet project. Sudarat tweeted on her X page to remark that the prime minister had earlier vowed to not borrow any loan to finance the 10,000-baht digital wallet project
Read moreThailand tipped to produce 32 million tonnes of rice
By Thai Newsroom Reporters THAILAND IS FORECAST to produce some 32 million tonnes of rice in 2023/2024 season, according to the Office of Agricultural Economics. The estimated 32 million tonnes of rice include 25.5 million tonnes of single-harvest crops in varied parts of the country and 6.7 million tonnes of multiple-harvest crops, which are
Read moreParallel populist project unveiled for the well-to-do
By Thai Newsroom Reporters AN E-REFUND PROJECT has been freshly launched by the Pheu Thai-led government for the well-to-do in parallel to the populist digital wallet project for other people. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed today (Nov.10) that the e-refund project will be provided to those who may not be entitled to the 10,000-baht
Read more10,000-baht digital wallet not for purchase of services
By Thai Newsroom Reporters PEOPLE WILL NOT LIKELY be allowed to use the Pheu Thai-led government’s digital wallet to buy services anywhere, a government official said today (Nov.9). The eligible recipients will only be allowed to use their 10,000-baht digital wallet to buy goods but not any services under the populist handout campaign, according
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