A woman eats her meal using rubber gloves as a waitress wearing a face mask as preventive measure against the spread of Covid-19 walks past at a seaside view restaurant in Bangpu, on the outskirts of Bangkok. - AFP BANGKOK, Jan 12 (Reuters): Thailand has approved more measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic after its biggest outbreak yet, including soft loans and lower utility bills, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said on Tuesday.
The new measures aim to boost liquidity for businesses, provide debt relief and support for unemployment, Prayuth said, adding that an additional sum of a monthly 3,500 baht ($116) per person for two months would be considered next week.
Thailand Unveils $7 Billion Stimulus to Counter Virus Impact
Bloomberg 1/12/2021 Randy Thanthong-Knight and Suttinee Yuvejwattana
(Bloomberg) Thailand unveiled stimulus programs including cash handouts worth 210 billion baht ($7 billion) to support millions of individuals and businesses affected by the country’s biggest wave of coronavirus infections since the pandemic began a year ago.
The government plans to distribute cash to about 30 million people, mostly informal sector workers and farmers, who are hit by curbs on businesses and mobility, according to Danucha Pichayanan, secretary general of the National Economic and Social Development Council. Under the plan, each beneficiary will receive 3,500 baht per month for two months starting as early as February, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said at a briefing in Bangkok Tuesday.
BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN): The Finance Ministry will revise its economic forecast for this year and next year in January, according to the Fiscal Policy Office on Monday (Dec 28).
Whether that revision is up or down will depend on the impact of the fresh Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand, it added.
However, the office said it believes the impact will be lower than the previous phase of contagion, since all parties are well-prepared to deal with the fallout.
Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow last week maintained his forecast of growth above 4 per cent for Thailand’s economy next year, citing the availability of Covid-19 vaccines.
Fiscal budget sufficient to cope with lockdown
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published : 24 Dec 2020 at 07:11
9 Public Health workers from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration conduct coronavirus tests at Klong Toey market in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Thailand s economy can withstand another round of stringent lockdown measures because of the remaining ammunition in the fiscal 2021 budget, says the Finance Ministry.
For the fiscal 2021 budget, the government has an expenditure budget of 3.284 trillion baht, with a budget deficit of 623 billion, said Krisada Chinavicharana, the finance permanent secretary.
The leftover sum of the 1-trillion-baht emergency loan decree stands at 600 billion, while the combined investment budget of state-owned enterprises totals 300 billion, said Mr Krisada.