stimulus

  • Business NewsThai AirAsia seeks govt aid amid demand slump and tax cuts

    Thai AirAsia seeks govt aid amid demand slump and tax cuts

    Thai AirAsia, experiencing a downturn in demand during the second and third quarters of 2023, now seeks government intervention to boost the stagnant local purchasing power. Chief Executive Santisuk Klongchaiya noted that the seasonal nature of tourism has resumed, with the average load factor for the domestic market in the second quarter decreasing to 90% from 94% year-on-year. Despite the…

  • Thailand NewsSocial Security asks 5,000 to return Covid-19 relief funds

    Social Security asks 5,000 to return Covid-19 relief funds

    Social Security reported that over 5,000 people must return Covid-19 relief funds, primarily under Section 40. Those not receiving official letters need not return the funds and should beware of fraudsters. The spokesperson for the Social Security Office, Niyada Saneemanoomai, today made the announcement. Niyada stated that the Social Security Office had sent letters to Section 40 insured persons, calling for…

  • Economy NewsChamber of Commerce proposes familiar plans for the economy

    Chamber of Commerce proposes familiar plans for the economy

    Ahead of a meeting with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha tomorrow, the Thai Chamber of Commerce has compiled a list of measures to boost Thailand’s struggling economy. The proposal was sourced from 5 regional chambers of commerce and will be submitted to the prime minister tomorrow as part of his meetings with private sector representatives. The proposed measures aren’t particularly groundbreaking, mostly…

  • Economy NewsStimulus package gives more back the more you spend

    Stimulus package gives more back the more you spend

    A new stimulus package targeting middle and high-income people aims at increasing spending by offering more e-voucher the more you spend. Ying Chai Ying Dai, which translates to “the more you spend the more you get”, will reward those who spend between 46,000 and 70,000 baht with a 7,000 baht e-voucher. This part of the government’s 225 billion baht stimulus…

  • Economy News7 million Thais already signed up to latest stimulus package

    7 million Thais already signed up to latest stimulus package

    7 million Thais have already registered for the latest economic stimulus package – Rao Chana (We Win). But Thailand’s Finance Minister believes that 10 million will finally register for the new relief in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19 infections sweeping the Kingdom. The new scheme is similar to other government stimulus packages where recipients aren’t just given…

  • Transport NewsTaxi and transport drivers calling for help from the Thai government

    Taxi and transport drivers calling for help from the Thai government

    Unions of Thai Taxi workers and Thai automobile drivers have handed over an official request to a government labour committee to file a request to the government seeking financial support. Thai Taxi workers passed over their requests to Suthep Yoo-on, the chairman of the Labour Committee officially seeking industry support. Just about all sectors of the country’s transport infrastructure have…

  • Thailand NewsThai senior and disabled citizens will receive 2,000 baht handouts

    Thai senior and disabled citizens will receive 2,000 baht handouts

    While the government’s economic stimulus packages continue to roll out, there is also a concern for the disabled and senior citizens who are excluded from the criteria to get benefits from the government’s major aids at this stage. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security plans to distribute 2,000 baht handouts to that demographic of the Thai population. According…

  • Phuket NewsHow Thailand’s domestic tourism market fell in love with Khao Lak during a pandemic

    How Thailand’s domestic tourism market fell in love with Khao Lak during a pandemic

    While Thailand’s doors remain mostly shut to international tourists, Thailand’s domestic travel wanderlust has turned Khao Lak into an Instagram hero. In the first 2 months of this year, according to research by consulting group C9 Hotelworks’ new Khao Lak Hotel Market Update occupancies soared above 80%. With the Covid-19 lockdowns, occupancy plunged in April and May, but as domestic…

  • Things To DoThings that have changed in Thailand in the Covid Era | Top 10 | VIDEO

    Things that have changed in Thailand in the Covid Era | Top 10 | VIDEO

    Top 10 things that have changed in Thailand during the Covid-era Things have changed. In some cases they’ve changed a lot and may never be the same again. Many people are suffering as a result of the impacts of lockdowns and the border closures. Some people are being forced to re-invent their lives as a result. Here are some of…

  • World NewsTrump orders enhanced unemployment benefits, eviction moratorium

    Trump orders enhanced unemployment benefits, eviction moratorium

    US President Donald Trump yesterday signed executive actions, 1 of which provides US$400 a week in enhanced unemployment benefits (25% of which is to be covered by the individual states) after the White House and Democrats were unable to reach an agreement on a coronavirus stimulus relief bill last week. Speaking from his his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey,…

  • Economy News“We Travel Together” campaign may be extended through 2020

    “We Travel Together” campaign may be extended through 2020

    The “We Travel Together” government stimulus campaign may be extended to increase domestic tourism through to the end of the year, while travel bubbles for tourists will hopefully be launched by October, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. He says the slow start of the scheme, launched July 15, can be partly attributed to hesitation among tourists as…

  • Covid-19 NewsTourism minister says he’ll punish hotels price-gouging during “We Travel Together”

    Tourism minister says he’ll punish hotels price-gouging during “We Travel Together”

    Hotel operators around Thailand will face being “delisted” and fined if they are found to be raising hotel room rates under the new stimulus campaign being rolled out by the Thai government, called “We Travel Together”. The campaign is designed to boost domestic tourism and covers 40% of a hotel’s room rate, as long as it doesn’t exceed 3,000 baht per…

  • Covid-19 NewsBillions of baht thrown at domestic tourism

    Billions of baht thrown at domestic tourism

    The coronavirus pandemic has nearly killed tourism in Thailand. Now, Thai authorities are giving some life to domestic travel by rewarding health volunteers with a free holiday as well as subsidising hotel and transportation costs. 3 stimulus packages worth 22.4 billion baht are planned to boost up the industry and are set to run from July to October. The money comes…

  • Economy NewsFinance Ministry looking at 3,000 baht ‘travel bank’ in next stimulus round

    Finance Ministry looking at 3,000 baht ‘travel bank’ in next stimulus round

    The Finance Ministry is looking at giving domestic tourists a 3,000 baht ‘travel bank’ to deduct off the cost of participating hotels, restaurants and tourism attractions. This time the restaurants, hospitality options and attractions will need to register for the service while the users won’t need to register. So, a user might check into a 5,000 baht hotel and spend…

  • Covid-19 NewsGovernment confirms 14.5 million Thais qualify for 5,000 baht state aid

    Government confirms 14.5 million Thais qualify for 5,000 baht state aid

    The director of the Fiscal Policy Office and spokesman for the Finance Ministry says 14.5 million Thai citizens now qualify for the government’s 5,000 baht subsidy, having passed the relevant screening criteria. Thai PBS World reports that Lawan Saengsanit says this number includes 4.4 million people who succeeded at a preliminary round of screening and have already received their first…

  • Covid-19 NewsMost Thais “satisfied” with Thai government’s handling of Covid-19 outbreak

    Most Thais “satisfied” with Thai government’s handling of Covid-19 outbreak

    Most Thais support the mandatory 14 day quarantines imposed on repatriating Thais during the country’s Covid-19 outbreak. There’s also broad approval of the temporary ban on flights into Thailand. The latest Suan Dusit Poll surveyed 1,801 people online across the country in the last two weeks of April asking them about their attitude towards the Thai government’s handling to prevent the…

  • Covid-19 NewsHM the King approves 1.9 trillion baht stimulus for Thailand

    HM the King approves 1.9 trillion baht stimulus for Thailand

    A royal endorsement was published in Thailand’s Royal Gazette yesterday saying, “his Majesty the King has approved new stimulus measures and laws to enforce spending worth 1.9 trillion baht, to lessen the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) on the economy”. This will take effect immediately according to the Royal Gazette. Read more about the 1.9 trillion baht stems package HERE. The…

  • Politics NewsThai Health Minister demands apology for inflammatory comments

    Thai Health Minister demands apology for inflammatory comments

    Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has criticised fellow Bhumjaithai Party member Boonkua Pussatevo for a Facebook comment that, according to The Nation, translates loosely to “stupid citizens will lead us to death” and has asked for a public apology over the comments. The remarks follows a computer glitch affecting the distribution of the 5,000 baht assistance many citizens were expecting.…

  • Covid-19 NewsComputer says no. Finance ministry refuses two-thirds of stimulus applicants.

    Computer says no. Finance ministry refuses two-thirds of stimulus applicants.

    Only 9 million Thais have been considered eligible in the latest package rolled out by the Finance Ministry. About 27 million registered for the emergency aid program to provide 5,000 baht per month for at least three month. Now the two-thirds who were initially refused the package after initial computer screening are asking why and fronting up to the Finance Ministry…

  • Covid-19 NewsGovernment doubles cash stimulus period for informal workers

    Government doubles cash stimulus period for informal workers

    The Thai government is doubling the period of monthly cash handouts for “informal workers,” from 3 months to 6. Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana made the announcement after yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting. The government initially only planned to provide cash to 3 million people for 3 months. The new stimulus marks a huge investment by the Thai government to keep the…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai government screws sex workers over 5,000 baht stimulus

    Thai government screws sex workers over 5,000 baht stimulus

    Thousands of Thai sex workers, estimated to be around 300,000, mostly out of work due to the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, will receive no labour protection from the government. Empower Foundation, an organisation for the rights and opportunities for sex workers across Thailand, has sent a letter to the government pleading for help. “Many are mothers and main family providers and…

  • Covid-19 NewsThird stimulus package coming, valued at 500 billion baht

    Third stimulus package coming, valued at 500 billion baht

    Thailand’s economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, as it’s heavily reliant on exports and tourism. As of yesterday, Thailand had reported 1,524 cases of coronavirus and nine deaths as a result of the outbreak. So the finance minister yesterday announced a new stimulus package valued at more than 500 billion baht to alleviate the impact. The…

  • Covid-19 NewsNearly 20 million try to register, crashing Thai government’s payout website

    Nearly 20 million try to register, crashing Thai government’s payout website

    Four major Thai banks closed their branches this weekend, partly in anticipation of a surge of applicants for the governments recently announce 5000 baht handout scheme for “informal” workers affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. According to Krungthai Bank, nearly 20 million people tried to log in and register on the government’s payout website, which opened last night, significantly higher…

  • Economy NewsThe almighty baht set to fall further despite rate cuts, stimulus

    The almighty baht set to fall further despite rate cuts, stimulus

    A lot has changed for the baht. It was only months ago that The Bank of Thailand considered drastic measures to rein in the rambunctious baht, whose massive gains in currency markets made it the darling of speculators. In December Kasikorn Bank released a report outlining reasons the baht “will remain strong into 2020.” The bank’s research arm forecast the…

  • Covid-19 NewsCash handouts to be proposed tomorrow

    Cash handouts to be proposed tomorrow

    “Those having social security will be taken care of by the Social Security Office, while those who are not insured under the social security scheme will be taken care of by the Ministry of Finance. We are planning to use an emergency budget from fiscal 2020 of around 20 billion baht to provide cash handouts to people affected by the…

  • Covid-19 NewsCash handouts to Thais being proposed

    Cash handouts to Thais being proposed

    “Those Thais with social security will be taken care of by the Social Security Office, while those who are not insured under the social security scheme will be taken care of by the Ministry of Finance. We are planning to use an emergency budget from fiscal 2020 of around 20 billion baht to provide cash handouts to people affected by…

  • Covid-19 NewsBOT injects 35 billion baht into Thai financial market

    BOT injects 35 billion baht into Thai financial market

    35 billion baht is being injected into the local Thai financial markets in the wake of the impact from Covid-19 crisis. The Bank of Thailand say they are closely monitoring the local financial market and recognised “liquidity is tight in bond and US dollar exchange markets.” BoT assistant governor Vachira Arromdee announced yesterday… “The BoT last week injected both short…

  • Economy NewsThai government planning more economic stimulus packages

    Thai government planning more economic stimulus packages

    Economists have urged the government to expand the fiscal deficit to up to 600 billion baht, while more stimulus packages are hopefully on course to counter the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand. Secretary to the Council of Economic Ministers, Kobsak Pootrakool, says that the economic ministers would consider extra packages as relief for certain sectors, that were hit…

  • Economy NewsThai PM Prayut quashes 2,000 baht handout package

    Thai PM Prayut quashes 2,000 baht handout package

    Easy come, easy go. Well that was quick. Last Friday’s announcements for 2 x 1000 baht handouts to poorer Thai citizens has been quashed by the PM. Prime Minister Prayut officially shelved plans to hand out the cash to low income earners. Last Friday the Finance Ministry made the announcement for a new round of stimulus packages to prop up…

  • Tourism NewsThai tourism ministry proposes 5 billion baht in tourist stimulus packages

    Thai tourism ministry proposes 5 billion baht in tourist stimulus packages

    Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will propose new domestic travel stimulus packages valued at 5 billion baht this Friday. The Minister says the aim is to cushion the impact of the coronavirus for the tourism service sector across the country. The Minister says that domestic tourism is “the priority during this difficult time. The government should implement…