Economy and industry

In the wake of the US government suspending billions of dollars in trade preferences for Thailand due to worker rights issues, organizations participating in the Seafood Working Group released a statement on Human Rights Day strongly urging the Thai government to undertake the necessary reforms ...

The unemployment rate in Thailand inched higher to 1.1% in November, up from 1% in the corresponding month last year, the Bank of Thailand reported on Tuesday.The number of unemployed increased by 60,200 from the previous year to 429,300  people and the number of employed ...

The amount invested in the recently approved Super Savings Funds (SSFs) could dwindle by half from the annual sums invested in long-term equity funds (LTFs) because of the significant reduction in tax privileges, says a capital market executive.SSFs is expected to see inflows worth around ...

Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong today (December 9) outlined short-term measures to drive growth of the grassroot economy next year.A major item on the agenda is the establishment of community power plants totalling 1,000 megawatts in next three years, adding that details of the plan will ...

An increase in the minimum wage by Bt5 to Bt6 will neither hike the cost liability for entrepreneurs nor increase inflation, Anusorn Tamajai, the director of the Economic and Business Research Centre for Reform at Rangsit University’s Institute of Economics, said yesterday (December 8).“An increase ...

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) is considering a refinance programme for credit card debtors with credible payment history, assistant governor of communications and corporate relations Chantavarn Sucharitakul said.“BOT has taken note of the problem faced by those credit card debtors’ during its Debt Clinic, and ...

Kasikorn Research Centre has revised downward its gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for 2019 to 2.5 per cent and projected that the Thai economy may grow 2.7 per cent in 2020.The centre revealed the forecast at its seminar on “Business Outlook amid Numerous Challenges in ...

The Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee on Friday (December 6) gave the nod to the establishment of a committee to regulate the high-speed train project linking three international airports.A second new committee will also be set up to manage the contract for this project, Kanit ...

The national wage committee agreed on Friday to increase the minimum daily wage by 5-6 baht, from 308-330 baht to 313-336 baht, and will propose the rise to cabinet for effect from Jan 1.Unskilled workers in most provinces will be entitled to 315-320 baht a ...

Efforts to protect Thai seafood workers from labor exploitation and modern slavery risk stalling as most international brands and retailers refuse to pay their suppliers more to comply with new anti-slavery policies, researchers said on Wednesday.Thai seafood suppliers are struggling with rising production costs as ...