Durian exports to China will bring in an additional Bt120b in revenue this year, says Agricultural Ministry.
Co-payment scheme to be extended: Prime minister says extension limited to specific eligible groups of recipients. The government has pledged to implement a fifth phase of the “Khon La Khrueng” copayment subsidy scheme after yesterday approving tourism stimulus packages to revitalise the embattled sector. Bangkok Post
Oil Fuel Fund set to borrow billions: The Oil Fuel Fund is expected to finish negotiations with banks this month as it looks to borrow heavily to boost its liquidity, says the Finance Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Theeraj Athanavanich. Bangkok Post
Retail price of diesel in Greater BKK will remain capped at Bt32/litre, as government has tried to continue its energy subsidy measures to help alleviate people’s hardship and reduce their cost of living.
State urged to review methyl ester plan: The Thai Biodiesel Producer Association (TBPA) is calling on the government to reconsider its plan to further reduce the rate of palm oil-derived methyl ester blended in diesel to avoid a greater impact on the biodiesel industry, as capacity utilisation stands at only 30%. Bangkok Post
Minimum wage hike in spotlight: JSCCIB says growth depends on pay rise. The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) believes Thailand can manage 2.5-4% GDP growth this year if an increase in the daily minimum wage is appropriate given the higher living costs. Bangkok Post
BoT preps measures for household debt: The Bank of Thailand plans to implement new measures to ease household debt, focusing on lower-income borrowers. Bangkok Post
BoT continues to ease forex regulations: Mrs Alisara, right, says a broader relaxation of foreign exchange transactions under the central bank’s new forex ecosystem are effective from today. The Bank of Thailand is persevering in its commitment to relax foreign exchange regulations as part of its development of a new foreign exchange ecosystem to stabilise the exchange rate in the longer term. Bangkok Post
Sugar cane output sees hike: 92m tonnes from 2021-22 crop year. Thai sugar cane output for the 2021-22 crop year is expected to rise to 92 million tonnes, up from 66.6 million tonnes in the previous crop year, as rain brought higher crop yields, says the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). The amount can be used to make up to 10-10.5 million tonnes of sugar. Bangkok Post
Public Health Ministry will propose declaring Covid endemic on three major tourist islands – Koh Samui in Surat Thani, Koh Chang in Trat and Phuket – paving the way for night entertainment venues there to reopen.
