SpaceX rep held talk with NBTC on Friday on obtaining internet satellite license as it plans to open commercial booking in Thailand this year.
A 4 days Censure debate against the PM and 9 ministers will begin on Tuesday and end on Friday, before the voting on Sat. It’ll be chaotic if the Opposition is to go ahead with plan to touch on the monarchy, as it’s unprecedented and will be met with protests and disruptions. Government is expected to survive the vote, but may result in a cabinet reshuffle.
Ministry preps B37.1bn financial relief package: A 37.1-billion-baht budget is planned as a financial remedy to assist employees covered by Section 33 of the Social Security Act (SSA) and state enterprise employees, says a Finance Ministry official. Bangkok Post
Lacking vaccination plan, TAT sees Q3 return for foreigners: The plan to welcome back international tourists in the third quarter is on track even though there is no timetable for vaccination of locals, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Bangkok Post
Foreign e-service firms liable for VAT: Measure comes into effect from September for those with annual income above B1.8m. Starting on Sept 1, overseas businesses providing online services in Thailand will be required to register for the 7% value-added tax (VAT) liability if their annual income exceeds 1.8 million baht, according to a Revenue Department official. Bangkok Post
The first vaccine shots in Thailand will begin by the end of month as the first 200,000 doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine are scheduled to arrive on Feb 24, government said.
NESDC revises down 2021 growth outlook: Persisting outbreak crushes optimism. The state planning agency National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has downgraded its economic growth forecast for this year to 2.5-3.5% from 3.5-4.5% made in November, mainly because of a fresh wave of infections. Bangkok Post
Cabinet approves B50bn loan: The cabinet has approved a 50-billion-baht low-interest loan programme to assist informal workers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) related to the tourism sector. Bangkok Post
BoT set to issue standards for SFIs: The Bank of Thailand is preparing to issue the accounting and financial reporting standards for specialised financial institutions (SFIs) to better reflect borrowers’ actual risks and strengthen financial fundamentals for banks, says a Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) source. Bangkok Post
The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry warned Thai users not to break the law on an audio-only, invite only social media platform, Clubhouse, urging them to use the app responsibly after reports emerged of some political activists and celebrities flocking to the new platform for discussions of the country’s highly-sensitive issues.
