Showing 1 - 10 of 12
Whither populism?
Business, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 16/01/2026
» Compared with the previous election, when some parties promised to distribute hundreds of billions of baht in cash and others pledged infrastructure projects worth trillions, the level of populism in campaign pledges during this election appears to have declined, which academics see as a positive development.
Long-term structural issues hobble Thailand's growth
Business, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 05/01/2026
» Thailand's economy has been mired in a prolonged period of low growth.
State plan to train 100,000 employees
Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 09/10/2025
» The Thai government plans to improve the skills of 100,000 workers in an effort to align with modern technologies.
Structural reform essential for Thai growth
Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 26/09/2025
» Thailand cannot break free from the middle-income trap or achieve high economic growth without addressing the entrenched structural issues plaguing the country, says Supavud Saichuea, chairman of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
Fears that rising loans could lead to debt trap
Business, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 26/11/2024
» The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has raised concerns about the rising trend of consumer loans, fearing that this could lead to a debt trap, a situation in which an individual, a household or even a country is forced to take new loans to repay existing debt obligations.
New approach needed for farm debt
Business, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 02/10/2023
» The debt suspension scheme for farmers fails to address the root cause of the debt problem, says Somporn Isvilanonda, a senior academic at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand.
Arkhom urges BAAC to rejig farmer debt
Business, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 26/06/2023
» Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith has asked the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) to restructure farmers' debts to reduce non-performing loans (NPLs) to 3-4% for this accounting year from nearly 8% year-on-year.
An ageing conundrum
Business, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 16/04/2021
» The Finance Ministry is growing concerned about slow economic growth prospects and higher inflationary pressure in the long term as Thailand transitions to an "aged" society.
Instability threatens economic growth
News, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 27/04/2019
» Without decisive winners from the March 24 poll, there are fears that political instability will affect the country's economy. Such concerns are understandable given that three parties, namely the pro-military Palang Pracharath Party, and Pheu Thai Party and Future Forward Party (which brand themselves as the anti-regime camp), are engaging in a post-election tug of war.
Rethinking our attitude towards populism
News, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 06/12/2018
» The new package intended for the poor, valued at 38 billion baht issued by the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration ahead of the election, is seen by critics as a populist tactic aimed at maximising political gain. Yet in my opinion, it's time we took a new look or changed our attitude toward populist policies. The fact is that all governments, elected or not, tend to embrace populism and even though some packages may not benefit the middle class, populist policies are just inevitable.