1. Income taxes may dip on trend, as VAT hikes: Global trends are shifting towards reducing income taxes and increasing consumption and wealth taxes, according to finance permanent secretary Lavaron Sangsnit. Bangkok Post
2. The Finance Ministry is expected to consider reviving the LTF investment scheme to prop up the slumping SET.: The Finance Ministry is expected to study resuscitating the long-term equity fund (LTF) scheme as proposed by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in a move to improve the sluggish stock market, say analysts. Bangkok Post
3. Tourism operators have asked Government to slash the visa-free length of stay for Chinese tourists from 30 to 15 days to address concerns over illegal employment and solve transnational crimes and scams.
4. Commission banking on renewables: ‘Last-ditch’ bid to cut cost of power bills. A greater number of short-term purchases of renewable power will represent a “last-ditch effort” the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) can make to help the government reduce electricity bills to support its policy to curb the power tariff that remains as high as 4.15 baht per kilowatt-hour (unit). Bangkok Post
5. Call to cut visa-free length of stay: Tourism operators have asked the government to slash the visafree length of stay for Chinese tourists to address concerns over illegal employment, while the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) urged the government to solve transnational crimes and scams. Bangkok Post
6. Trump policies to fuel gold price surge: Gold prices are expected to surge by more than 6% over the next three months following the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president yesterday, reflecting uncertainties surrounding US economic and political policies, local traders say. Hua Seng Heng Gold Futures (HGF) expects gold prices to increase in the first six months of the Trump administration, with bullion rising by 6.38% in the first three months and 3.3% in six months’ time. Bangkok Post
7. BOT seeks banks’ cooperation: The Bank of Thailand (BoT) wants banks to encourage more clients to apply to the state’s “You Fight, We Help” debt relief scheme. The Bank of Thailand has urged banks to proactively contact all eligible borrowers under the government’s “You Fight, We Help” debt relief scheme and to enhance communication efforts after a lower-than-expected number of debtors registered for the programme. Bangkok Post
8. The right time to buy?: Prospective homebuyers are set to enjoy attractive prices this year amid a large volume of unsold supply. Prospective homebuyers are likely to benefit from attractive prices this year as developers are expected to scale back on new project launches and prioritise clearing unsold inventory to generate cash amid unfavourable market sentiment and intense competition. Bangkok Post
9. Industrial confidence falls in December: The Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) fell to 90.1 points in December last year, mainly due to a slowdown in the manufacturing sector and the impact of floods, says the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). The index stood at 91.4 in November 2024. In December, factories churned out fewer products, following an increase in production in November to fulfil more purchase orders ahead of year-end festivities. The decrease in output also resulted from fewer working days in the final month of the year. Bangkok Post
10. TAT target >Bt3trnl in tourism rev this year, while diversifying risk to focus on rising markets such as SEA, India and Russia, with Bt2trnl from 39-40m foreign tourists and Bt1trnl from 200-220m domestic trips.

Bonus 10

1. Carbon tax gets cabinet green light: Measure won’t raise prices, says minister. The cabinet has approved a draft Finance Ministry regulation to impose a carbon tax of 200 baht per tonne of carbon equivalent, aiming to enhance the competitiveness of Thai goods in the global market. Bangkok Post
2. Estate developers set to thrive: Rental rates for factory and warehouse space are expected to continue rising, but will remain below pre-pandemic levels, unlike industrial land sales, which have recorded strong demand, primarily from Chinese investors who prefer buying over renting. Sayarm Tongkrabin, head of industrial estate developer ESR Thailand, said while the overall industrial property market was robust last year, sales of industrial land sales represented the most active segment. Bangkok Post
3. The draft of a law to promote Thailand as a regional financial hub is expected to be submitted to the cabinet next month.: Measure creates One Stop Authority. The Finance Ministry has completed drafting the financial hub legislation and expects to submit it to the cabinet in early February. Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul said the legislation provides greater privileges and authority than the Eastern Economic Corridor laws. Bangkok Post
4. Listed banks post 7% net profit growth last year: KTB tallies loan uptick of 4.7%. The banking industry reported softer net profit growth of 7% in 2024, reflecting the country’s economic conditions. The positive performance was supported by a reduction in loan-loss reserves and controlled non-performing loans (NPLs). The 11 SET-listed banks reported a consolidated net profit of 253 billion baht in 2024, a 7.22% year-on-year increase. Over the past few years, the industry had consistently achieved doubledigit net profit growth annually. In 2024, the sector allocated 235 billion baht f or expected credit losses (ECL), marking a 2% year-onyear decline. Bangkok Post
5. FTI sees 3% rise in steel consumption this year: Concerns over the dumping of Chinese steel in the Thai market have decreased as China is expected to export less steel this year due to an improvement in its economic situation. Steel consumption should increase by 3% this year, driven by government stimulus measures and the continual growth of the Chinese economy, says the Federation of Thai Industries’ (FTI) Steel Industry Club. In 2024, steel consumption was estimated at 15-16 million tonnes, similar to the amount in 2023. Bangkok Post
6. MoF to propose Financial Hub Bill to Cabinet in early Feb, opening up 8 businesses with much more privileges than the EEC, boosting GDP, employment and consumption. Tabloid sees benefit to BBL, KBANK and SCB.
7. The FTI expects steel consumption to increase by 3% this year, from 15-16m tonnes last year, driven by government stimulus measures and continual growth of the Chinese economy.
8. Regulator launches green tariff: Thailand has started imposing the utility green tariff (UGT) for the first time, requiring companies to pay 4.21 baht per kilowatt-hour (unit) if they opt to use renewable power. Bangkok Post
9. A proposal for a tiered excise tax rate for batteries rewards those that are more energy efficient.: The government is revising the battery tax structure, encouraging manufacturers to produce more environmentally friendly batteries. The Finance Ministry plans to propose to the cabinet next month a revision of the battery tax from a flat rate for all battery types to a tiered rate, with more efficient batteries subject to a lower levy than less efficient batteries. Bangkok Post
10. Thai exports last year beat the Commerce Ministry goal, reaching a record value of US$301 billion.: Value of shipments hits record $301bn, Containers are transported to and from Laem Chabang port by truck. Mr Poonpong said exports are expected to continue expanding in January, marking the seventh consecutive month of growth. The Ministry of Commerce projects a 2-3% growth in exports in 2025. Exports grew by 5.4% in 2024, surpassing the target and reaching a recordhigh value of US$301 billion, according to the Commerce Ministry. Bangkok Post
11. K-Asset: BoT to cut rates in H1 as stimulus takes effect: K-Asset expects the Bank of Thailand to cut the policy interest rate in the first half of this year to give the economy a boost. The Bank of Thailand is projected to cut interest rates in the first half of 2025 as the country needs support from both fiscal and monetary policies to spur economic growth, says Kasikorn Asset Management (K-Asset). Bangkok Post