Economy and industry
Coexisting with disease
Over the past 18 months, the global spread of the pandemic has taken its toll on the economies of many countries. In Thailand, some believe a relief budget of 3 trillion baht may be inadequate.Assuming the country can achieve herd immunity by the end of ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Time for tourism policy rethink
Last Wednesday, residents of dark-red zone provinces made a dash to restaurants and shopping malls after lockdown restrictions were eased. For businesses like hair salons and massage shops, reopening has restored a vital lifeline after they were forced shut for nearly three months.But not everyone ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Calls for a post-virus blueprint
The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) has asked the government to come up with a long-term plan for reopening the economy to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.At the half-way point towards a 120-day deadline set by the government, which falls in mid-October, TCC ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Debt restructuring to be extended
Debt restructuring periods offered to borrowers affected by the pandemic could be extended to more than 10 years, says Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) chairman Payong Srivanich.The Bank of Thailand, in collaboration with the TBA, recently implemented additional debt assistance measures to provide sustainable aid to ...
Somruedi Banchongduang
ONDE outlines digital outlook
Lack of public knowledge about the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), a dearth of digital skills among officials and tepid cross-border e-commerce by Thai vendors are three concerns surrounding the country’s digital transformation, says the Office of National Digital Economy and Society Commission (ONDE).The concerns ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Tech generation gap
A study of the relationship between people and technology reveals a split in Thailand between those who believe tech companies clearly make a positive contribution to society and those who hold neutral or negative opinions of technology, according to the Asean communications agency Vero.In a ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
BoT says confidence key to spurring recovery
Public confidence will be a key factor in boosting the economy after the government eased its strict Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, according to an executive at the Bank of Thailand (BoT).The loosening of the rules, which starts on Wednesday, will bring relief to businesses which had ...
Somruedi Banchongduang
BoI’s Asean investment framework gets Cabinet okay
The Cabinet on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to the Asean Investment Facilitation Framework (AIFF) proposed by the Board of Investment (BoI).It also appointed Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow, who oversees issues related to the economy and investment, as the Thai representative at the Asean Economics Ministers’ ...
The Nation Reporter
Private sector ups 2021 GDP forecast as Thailand’s Covid-19 situation improves
A joint private sector committee has adjusted Thailand’s estimated gross domestic product (GDP) growth for this year to between -0.05 and 1 per cent, higher than the previous estimate of -1.5 to 0 per cent.The committee is comprised of three private sector organisations, namely the ...
The Nation Reporter
July exports rise, but Covid curbs hit activity
The economy in July was increasingly impacted by the country’s worst Covid-19 outbreak and tighter restrictions that extended into August, but fiscal policy and exports lent some support, the central bank said on Tuesday.The nation’s containment measures were imposed in July and August in Bangkok ...