Bangkok Post
Thailand, US in 'proactive' trade talks
Thailand and the United States on Wednesday discussed “proactive” economic, trade and investment cooperation, which will be crucial for salvaging the economy in the aftermath of the new coronavirus pandemic.The discussion was carried out between Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Michael George DeSombre, the new ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Minimum wage waive floated to sustain SMEs
The government is being advised to waive the daily minimum wage requirement for six months to help entrepreneurs maintain employment during the pandemic.Thanit Sorat, vice-chairman of the National Labour Development Advisory Council, said the council estimated that the country’s total unemployed could reach 9-10 million ...
Chatrudee Theparat
Finance Ministry to reduce period for handouts
The Finance Ministry could shorten the six-month period for handing out 5,000 baht a month to informal workers affected by the outbreak if the coronavirus pandemic can be contained before September, says the head of the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO).The government will redirect the budget ...
Wichit Chantanusornsiri
Plastic use soars after dine-in ban
Single-use plastic bags are making a comeback as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak.After their use was restricted at the start of the year, plastic bags can once again be seen littering the streets of greater Bangkok as people begin to rely on take-outs ...
Apinya Wipatayotin
Agency sees -1% inflation
Thailand’s inflation rate may be as low as -1% this year as the escalating spread of Covid-19 has weakened overall domestic demand.Pimchanok Vonkorpon, director-general of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, the planning unit of the Commerce Ministry, said a -1% inflation rate would be ...
Phusadee Arunmas
BAAC to revise loan goal as farm sector stagnant
The state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is poised to revise its new lending target of 101 billion baht for this financial year, starting from April 1, because of knock-on effects from the Covid-19 outbreak on the farming sector.BAAC’s operating performance for the ...
Wichit Chantanusornsiri
Consumer prices drop 0.54% y/y in March, most in over 4 years
Thailand’s headline consumer price index (CPI) dropped 0.54% in March from a year earlier, the weakest in 51 months, but slightly better than expectations, commerce ministry data showed on Tuesday.The reading compared with a forecast decline of 0.60% in a Reuters poll, and with February’s ...
Thai stocks surge on easing virus cases, economic stimulus
Thai stocks surged as trading resumed after the Chakri Memorial Day holiday, boosted by rising optimism about a waning coronavirus outbreak and the government’s new economic stimulus.The benchmark SET Index rose 6.7% as of 4.58pm in Bangkok, poised for the highest gain since March 11. ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Schools won't reopen until July 1
The cabinet on Tuesday approved an Education Ministry proposal to postpone the reopening of all schools for the new semester from May 16 until July 1, as a measure to control Covid-19.Government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat announced the decision.She said the ministry will change learning methods ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Cabinet gives green light to B1.9tn stimulus
The cabinet on Tuesday approved 1.9-trillion-baht spending to help people and businesses affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), including 600 billion baht for six-month cash giveaways and 500-billion-baht soft loans for small and medium-sized businesses.The package, the third phase of the stimulus programme to ...
Chatrudee Theparat