Showing 1 - 10 of 19
Risk of crisis growing more acute
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 05/03/2026
» This article is a follow-up to my previous piece titled "Fiscal deficit will trigger 2026 crisis". In that article, I argued Thailand's heavy dependence on external liquidity, combined with the government's need for 860 billion baht annually to finance its deficits, would lead to a severe liquidity shortage and, ultimately, a financial crisis.
VAT hikes alone won't narrow deficit
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 27/11/2025
» This article is not meant to attack Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) for the fiscal years from 2026 to 2030. It is meant to emphasise the fragility of a Thai fiscal position that requires multiple revenue enhancement measures.
Govt may not have stimulus plan tools
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 16/10/2025
» Nowadays, governments around the world sound like movie production houses. They always come up with catchy slogans for their policies, like Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill.
Dealing with Trump is half the story
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 07/08/2025
» This will be an eye-opening article. It is an analysis that readers have not read anywhere. No one seems to realise that after a mega-earthquake in the ocean, giant tsunamis will always follow. If Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs are comparable to a mega economic earthquake, President Xi Jinping's reactions will have the impact of a giant economic tsunami.
Tariff talks are unlikely to go as planned
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 24/07/2025
» It is only a week away from the Aug 1 deadline when the 36% reciprocal tariff levied on Thai exports to the US will take effect.
Ability to pay key to debt restructuring
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 03/04/2025
» Last week's earthquake has provided Thais with two valuable lessons. First, Thailand has no national disaster management plan. No government agency seems to have had carefully thought-out plans and procedures to manage the situation. All measures were carried out on an ad-hoc basis. Worse, there appears to be no coordination among various agencies. Thais were left to rely on their own two feet as thousands of Bangkokians had no choice but to walk for hours to their homes when the mass transit railways were shutdown.
Data paints economy as 'black hole'
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 12/12/2024
» I am known for being pessimistic about the Thai economy. Apart from encouraging official economic growth figures of 1.6% in Q1, 2.2% in Q2, and 3.0% in Q3, I do not think anyone can be optimistic about the economy. It is obvious that GDP data and the actual economic situation do not go hand in hand. It is beyond my comprehension that the non-performing loan (NPL) level rose 14.1% in Q3 while the economy expanded 3.0%. Shouldn't it be the opposite when debtor's income rises?
Stimulus packages need paradigm shift
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 03/10/2024
» Ever wonder why Thailand's economic growth is consistently lower than its peers? Even with a flood of foreign tourists of 28.1 million (154.4% growth) in 2023, our GDP growth was 1.9% compared to 5.5% in the Philippines, 5% in both Indonesia and Vietnam, and 3.7% in Malaysia. The growth figure for the first half of this year of 1.9% is far worse than many of our Asean friends.
Thai economic prospects far from rosy
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 09/02/2023
» Logically, one would imagine that 2023 would be a much better year than 2022. Covid is over in every corner of the earth and economic activities resume. The world oil price is below US$80 (2,677 baht) per barrel and inflation is coming down. At the first meeting of 2023, the Fed raises interest rates to merely 25 basis points as opposed to the 50-75 basis points for each meeting in 2022.
Can Omicron spur a Great Depression?
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 02/12/2021
» The emergence of a new Covid-19 variant -- Omicron -- has caused quite a stir globally just as many nations are on the recovery track from the Delta variant. Scientists worry that the latest strain first detected in South Africa has as many as 50 mutations, 32 of them on the spike protein which theoretically makes it much more transmissible than the Delta variant.