Showing 1 - 10 of 12
Parsing the minimum wage hike debate
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 24/08/2022
» As Thai workers feel the pinch of soaring living expenses, the government has announced plans to raise the daily minimum wage by October to help alleviate the burden. However, some analysts argue the key to raising the quality of the Thai workforce lies in productivity.
Why the Oil Fuel Fund is overburdened
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 29/06/2022
» The Energy Ministry an-nounced that the mounting debt of the state Oil Fuel Fund exceeded 100 billion baht as of yesterday. While a recent nudge from Kla Party leader Korn Chatikavanij, a former finance minister, shed more light on pressing issues surrounding energy and resulting in the government requesting cooperation from oil refineries to channel their profits into the fund, no subsidies for the prices of fuel requested from six Thai refiners have been finalised yet.
Explainer: Will Chadchart resolve the Green Line saga?
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 15/06/2022
» Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt is testing the waters as he vows to sort out the long-running dispute over the city's Green Line electric rail system concessions, which includes higher fares for riders and mounting debts.
Explainer: Inside the case for a minimum wage hike
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 04/05/2022
» Thai workers are feeling the pinch from months of higher living expenses, leading them to take to the streets on Labour Day to demand a 45% increase in the daily minimum wage.
Covering the new entry rules
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 06/04/2022
» Starting from April 1, visitors entering Thailand enjoy more relaxed conditions after authorities dropped a negative pre-arrival RT-PCR Covid-19 test requirement. Yet the hotel sector remains adamant that a recovery is impossible until all the rules are removed.
Economic outlook turns dour as committee meets
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 30/03/2022
» All eyes are on the Bank of Thailand as rising inflation, spiking energy prices, a weakened baht and the impact of the war in Ukraine could all combine to influence a revision of key economic figures, especially GDP growth and interest rates, at the central bank's rate-setting committee meeting on Wednesday.
Luring visitors and assisting the economy
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 23/03/2022
» In a bid to entice skilled foreign workers to move to Thailand and stimulate the economy, the state-owned Thailand Privilege Card (TPC) recently introduced new long-term visa perks that include a work permit. The novel programme is called Flexible Plus, which falls under the Elite Card scheme.
Exploring factors driving the inflation uptick
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 09/03/2022
» The Commerce Ministry recently announced Thailand's headline inflation rate rose 5.28% in February year-on-year, which was higher than expected. The surge in the economic indicator marked the fastest rate jump in 13 years and breaches the central bank inflation target for this year.
How will the war in Ukraine affect Thailand?
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 02/03/2022
» Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24 marks a major conflict that sent shockwaves through global stock and commodities markets. The action could affect tourism around the world, including in Thailand, which is still struggling to recover economically from the pandemic stress.
Point of pride
Business, Janine Phakdeetham, Published on 11/01/2022
» Japanese medical equipment manufacturer Nipro Corporation recently unveiled the company's innovative disposable syringes, a timely solution that can stretch the Covid-19 vaccine dosage amid an increase in Covid-19 infections and warnings against the latest Omicron variant.