Bangkok Post
Public debt not scary yet, PDMO says
Thailand’s increased public debt, attributed to borrowing to sustain economic conditions during the pandemic, remains below the average rate seen in emerging markets, says the Public Debt Management Office.PDMO director-general Patricia Mongkhonvanit said the IMF reported that global public debt has risen by 20% on ...
Wichit Chantanusornsiri
Cleaning up the Energy Ministry
Since the resignation of Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, the vacant post has been highly sought after by ambitious power brokers not for its budget, one of the smallest in government, but for its control of lucrative energy contracts plagued by graft and corruption.A running joke ...
Yuthana Praiwan
Hourly wages back on table amid concerns
Authorities have pushed the adoption of hourly wages while labour activists remain wary that employees in some industries would be further exploited.As unemployment soars in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak — 9 million Thais are forecast to lose jobs as a result of the ...
Penchan Charoensuthipan
China demand spiking for Thai durian
The Chinese appetite for Thai durians remains strong despite the coronavirus pandemic and weak global demand for goods.According to Commerce Ministry data, Thailand exported US$567.29 million worth of durians to China in the first four months of 2020, up 78% year-on-year from the same period ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
BMA delays hike in waste collection fee
City Hall has put off a plan to raise the refuse collection rates, the first hike in 15 years, until October next year citing the government’s policy to ease financial burdens associated with the economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic.Bangkok City Council has endorsed ...
Supoj Wancharoen
FTI says contagion an opportunity to push EEC
The government should take advantage of the coronavirus crisis to attract investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and make Thailand a standout among neighbouring countries as the most preferable investment destination, says the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).“Thailand needs to start stimulating investment now, ...
Lamonphet Apisitniran
NSTDA and Mahidol join hands to research ways to fight COVID-19
The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), led by Dr. Narong Sirilertworakun, NSTDA President, joins hands with the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, led by Prof. Banchong Mahaisavariya, M.D., President of Mahidol University, to develop a method to extract the RNA of a ...
FPO makes use of satellite data
The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) is using satellites and carbon dioxide density measures to study economic conditions on a more continuous basis, according to senior officials at the Finance Ministry’s think tank.The data will allow the FPO to analyse data for areas to improve efficiency ...
Wichit Chantanusornsiri
Govt plans B100bn soft loans to help tourism, services
The government plans 100 billion baht of new soft loans to help small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourist and services sector hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the finance minister said on Monday.The loans will offer more relaxed conditions than the central bank’s 500-billion baht ...
5,000-baht SSF stipend moves forth
The Finance Ministry has approved the Labour Ministry’s proposal to provide leftover budget as a cash handout of 5,000 baht a month to nearly 90,000 workers registered under the Social Security Fund who were affected by the pandemic.“The Social Security Office (SSO) has submitted a ...
Wichit Chantanusornsiri