SEC mulls alternative bond funding : Agency seeks tax perks for fund. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has floated an idea to set up a fund to help issuers of non-investment-grade corporate bonds in the pandemic era. Bangkok Post
Japanese firms ask for traveller quota : Japanese investors and companies are requesting the Thai government reopen the country to 100 Japanese business travellers per day, as they are eager to return here to make new investments and fill executive-level vacancies. Bangkok Post
NBTC allots 4 packages of satellite network filings : The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has allotted four packages of satellite network filings subject to allocation for interested bidders early next year. Bangkok Post
PM defends emergency decree : Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday defended the use of the emergency decree to curb the spread of Covid-19, calling it a legal tool for the authorities to enforce virus control measures. Bangkok Post
World Bank grim on GDP : Global lender sees a 5% drop this year. The World Bank has slashed Thailand’s GDP outlook for 2020 to a 5% contraction, a drastic cut from 2.7% growth projected previously, as supply chain disruptions and lockdown measures from the coronavirus crisis have triggered an economic downturn. Bangkok Post
Hotel operators slam fee waiver : Hotel operators are underwhelmed by an aid measure to waive the 40-baht-per-room operation fee for a year, calling the remedy trivial in the face of financial devastation caused by the pandemic and requesting a revival of the 5,000-baht domestic tourism rebate. Bangkok Post
Activist no security threat: Don : Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday Wanchalearm Satsaksit, the activist who disappeared from the streets of Phnom Penh last week, didn’t have political refugee status, so Thailand can only wait for Cambodia to finish its investigation. Bangkok Post
PM agrees to lift night curfew : Pubs, wet massages still offthe agenda. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has agreed to lift the night curfew and allow most businesses to resume, except entertainment venues and wet massage parlours, according to the secretary-general of the National Security Council Somsak Roongsita. Bangkok Post
Foreign inflows drive baht past 31 : Up 2.7% against US$ since the end of May. The baht has surged past 31 per US dollar on the back of month-to-date net foreign inflows moving into local equities and bonds, a motion contrary to Thailand’s sputtering economic outlook. Bangkok Post
Ban on overseas trips to keep officials focused on home front : State officials will be prohibited from travelling abroad this year in order to promote domestic meetings and incentives and strengthen consumption at home, says Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Bangkok Post
