1. Dept of Rail Transport said a total of 1,634,446 ppl used free electric train services on Sat, +45.29% vs avg of the previous 3 Sat of this month.
2. PM to launch second phase of B10,000 cash handout today: The second phase of the 10,000-baht cash handout scheme starts today when Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra kicks off the campaign. About three million people aged 60 and over will be eligible for the cash, said Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat yesterday. Bangkok Post
3. Higher sugar cane output is expected in the 2024-25 crop year, but the government is screening to discourage burning.: The government is stepping up efforts to promote cutting of cane to reduce PM2.5 levels from burning. Thailand’s sugar cane output is expected to increase in the 2024-25 crop year thanks to more rainfall, but farmers face strict screening for harvesting by burning, says the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB). Bangkok Post
4. MTL predicts uptick in total premiums: Mr Sara says MTL projects its total insurance premiums should continue to grow in 2025. Muang Thai Life Assurance (MTL) expects its total premiums to rise substantially from 2024 thanks to life and health insurance premium growth, despite adjustments for the new Thai Financial Reporting Standard 17 (TFRS 17). Last year MTL reported total written premiums of more than 71.8 billion baht, with new written premiums surging 13%, said chief executive Sara Lamsam, adding the company is serving 3.8 million customers. Bangkok Post
5. FTI keeps car output at 1.5m: Last year Thailand’s car output tallied 1.46 million units, less than the target of 1.5 million. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is maintaining its car production target at 1.5 million units this year, though high household debt, weak purchasing power and strict lending conditions are projected to challenge the industry. The output target comprises 1 million units for export and 500,000 units for the domestic market, said Surapong Paisitpatanapong, FTI vice-chairman and spokesman for its Automotive Industry Club. Bangkok Post
6. Rice exports reached 6-year high in 2024: Mrs Arada said the DFT would this year focus on boosting rice exports to Africa and maintaining existing exports markets for Thai Hom Mali rice. Thailand’s rice exports tallied a six-year high of 9.95 million tonnes last year, according to the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT). This year the department set a minimum export target of 7.5 million tonnes, even as global competition continues to intensify. Arada Fuangtong, director-general of the DFT, said the country shipped 9.95 million tonnes of rice in 2024, a 13% increase year-on-year, valued at 226 billion baht, up 27% year-on-year. Bangkok Post
7. Auto sales dropped 26% to 572,675 units in 2024, the lowest in 15 years, due to stricter bank-loan approvals and high household debt, with a 70% rejection rate for car loans. Auto production in 2024 fell 20% to 1.47m vehicles, with a predicted slight increase to 1.5m in 2025.
8. Chinese arrival +20.3% yoy over past week at 178,762, as Government pledged to tackle safety concerns, while total tourist arrivals from Jan 1 – 26 stood at 3.02m, +19.3% yoy, with 17.6% were Chinese.
9. Government approves TikTok’s plan to invest $3.8b in data hosting services, supporting its affiliated cos thru digital infra here
10. Cash handouts fuel ATM withdrawals: The 10,000-baht cash handout for the elderly has stimulated spending, with withdrawals from Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) ATMs surging 13.3 times on the first day of transfers. Bangkok Post

Bonus 3

1. High-speed rail project to commence service by 2030: The government has confirmed the BangkokNong Khai high-speed rail project, connecting to China’s highspeed railway network, will be operational by 2030. According to government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab, on Tuesday the Transport Ministry reported to the cabinet on the progress of the cooperation project between the Thai government and Beijing to construct a highspeed railway. Bangkok Post
2. BoT clamps down on mule accounts: Measures to take effect in March. The Bank of Thailand is tightening rules for financial transactions to control mule accounts and plans to extend stricter measures to include digital assets and e-wallets in the next phase. Bangkok Post
3. BOT’s monetary policy stance remain broadly neutral and inflation will rise but remain in the target band of 1% to 3%, GDP may have expanded ~2.7% in 2024, on weaker than forecast 4Q24 at north of 3%.