To make up for the Songkran break I’ll add an extra 10

1. Several auto makers were holding back EV production expansion on risk of flooding in EV from China without tax barrier, urging EV board to form concrete policies.
2. Non-bank fin & card co., likely benefit from Citi’s plan to exit consumer credits & credit card business in 13 countries including TH, Tabloid.
3. State promises B300bn ‘enough’ to fight outbreak: The government has insisted it has at least 300 billion baht available in funds to fight a fresh Covid-19 outbreak. Bangkok Post
4. Covid-19 rapid tests ‘unreliable’: Many rapid test kits cannot tell whether people vaccinated against Covid-19 have indeed built up any immunity to it, the Public Health Ministry admitted yesterday. Bangkok Post
5. JSCCIB predicts GDP to contract by 0.5% to 1%: The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has said that Thailand can expect a drop in GDP of 0.5% to 1% if the government is able to control the new Covid-19 wave by April or May, respectively. Bangkok Post
6. Prime Minister defended Government’s slow vaccination program, 2nd to last among ASEAN, insisting it had not been overly slow, nor unjustly favoured one producer over another, but that it put safety first.
7. Thai Tourism Council sees fresh round of hotel closure as 3rd wave shove off OCC, more unemployment expected.
8. Ad Association of Thailand sees 2M21 ad spending -15% yoy, expects full year ad spending falls below Bt100b for the 1st time in 10 years.
9. Cabinet okays expansion of ‘Rao Chana’ scheme: The cabinet yesterday approved expanding the coverage of the “Rao Chana” (We Win) financial aid scheme to an additional 2.4 million people and also extended the deadline to spend a 7,000-baht cash handout to June 30. Bangkok Post
10. CEOs vow to speed up jabs rollout: The chief executives of 40 companies yesterday rallied behind the government by launching a campaign to expedite the procurement of vaccines and pull the country out of its economic malaise as soon as possible. Bangkok Post
11. BoT sure new scheme will help SMEs: The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is expecting small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) to feel the brunt of the latest wave of Covid-19 infections. Bangkok Post
12. Public Health Ministry insists the Sinovac vaccine is safe and it will continue to administer it, despite seven people suffering stroke-like symptoms after receiving it.
13. Thailand aims to purchase 35m more doses of Covid vaccines, in addition to the 65m already being procured for the government’s national inoculation program, said Prime Minister.
14. The number of retail cryptocurrency traders in Thailand continues to skyrocket with 24,000 new accounts created in one week in April following the SEC’s (SEC) approval for Bitkub to resume accepting new accounts.
15. Sputnik V to launch here: Putin gives personal pledge on vaccine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally vowed to support Thailand’s Covid-19 battle and will therefore be selling it his country’s Sputnik V vaccine, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced yesterday. Bangkok Post
16. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith is concerned a great number of Thais risk an uncomfortable retirement as nearly 40% of the population is prone to spend rather than save. Bangkok Post
17. Private sector seeks to import 5m jab doses: The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) plans to ask Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to allow the private sector to import 5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of this year during a meeting with the premier next Wednesday. Bangkok Post
18. Anutin puts his faith in Chinese vaccines: Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has defended the quality of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine following reports that Chinese-made vaccines “don’t have very high protection rates” The minister said on Facebook that the issues surrounding Covid-19 vaccines from China had caused much confusion in the last few days and some politicians were exploiting it. Bangkok Post
19. Close to 150 medical workers have been infected and about 1/3 contracted the virus by treating patients who withheld details of their timelines, say officials.
20. Department grants exploration license to Pan Orient: The Department of Mineral Fuels (DMF) has awarded an on-shore petroleum exploration and production (E&P) license, spanning three provinces northwest of Bangkok, to Pan Orient Energy (Siam) to increase domestic crude oil production by 119,000 barrels over the next seven years. Bangkok Post