3 A sign is displayed in front of a shop participating in the Khon La Khrueng (half-half) co-payment scheme at Chatuchak weekend market. Pornprom Satrabhaya
The Finance Ministry is willing to expand eligibility for phase 3 of the Khon La Khrueng co-payment scheme beyond the original limit of 31 million people, says director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office Kulaya Tantitemit.
Phase 3 of the scheme opened registration on Monday, when more than 20 million people signed up as of 2pm. The scheme is part of the government s relief measures to help those affected by the pandemic.
Registration is open from 6am to 10pm and is programmed to close once the number of participants reaches 31 million.
The region’s poor and working classes are bearing the brunt of economic fallout from the latest wave of COVID-19. Long-term social protection schemes could help.
Senators take aim at vaccine rollout plan
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published : 25 May 2021 at 20:24
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Senators on Tuesday called on the government to improve its vaccine distribution plan as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of abating.
Senate Speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholchai allowed members to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic and most zeroed in on the government’s vaccine rollout and relief measures.
Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn said migrant workers and employees in the industrial sector should be given priority for jabs after factories in several provinces had been hit by repeat clusters of infections.
He said an initial plan to wait until August before vaccinating migrant workers would be too late and said the private sector could speed up the programme by procuring its own quota of vaccines via the government and distributing them to those most in need.
Analysts shrug at new scheme
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Rather than revving up consumer spending, the key to fixing the economy is mass vaccination
published : 17 May 2021 at 04:30
9 The Ying Chai Ying Dai scheme targets 4 million shoppers with high purchasing power, aiming to increase consumer spending during the pandemic. (Photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya)
With a slow vaccine rollout, mounting Covid-19 cases and new variants entering the country, Thailand s economic future seems more uncertain than ever.
Multiple times this year Thailand s GDP growth forecast has been lowered by both domestic and international institutions, and could end up being 1%, following a contraction of 6.1% in 2020.
To combat these cratering GDP prognostications, the government unveiled an ambitious new programme to spur consumer spending and nudge upwards economic indicators this year: Ying Chai Ying Dai (the more you spend, the more you get).
SSO looks to cut SSF contributions
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Plans to reduce rates to 2.5% for 3 months
published : 14 May 2021 at 06:00
4 Members of the Social Security Fund arrive at the Thai-Japanese youth centre in Din Daeng district of Bangkok for free Covid-19 tests on May 8. (Photo: Apichit Jinakul)
The Social Security Office (SSO) is to seek the cabinet s approval to cut social security fund (SSF) contributions to support those affected by Covid-19 for three months.
Surachai Chaitrakulthong, assistant to the labour minister, said on Thursday the Federation of Thai Industry had asked the ministry to launch additional measures to help employers and employees affected by Covid-19 s economic impact.