Showing 41 - 50 of 58
No money left to ease Covid blues
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 13/05/2021
» In the second quarter of 2020, the Thai economy shrank as much as 12.1%, resulting in a loss of 610 billion baht in GDP. Such a huge loss was the impact of Covid-19, caused by fear of the pandemic, the impact of strict lockdown measures, and a loss of revenue from foreign tourists.
Money to boost economy tough to find
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 29/04/2021
» Wow. What a difference two weeks makes! In my previous article, I wrote, with grave concern, that over 6,000 people had been infected with Covid-19 within just two weeks of the third outbreak. Two weeks later, the number of cases from the third wave alone, which started early this month, has skyrocketed five-fold to over 30,000 cases. Who knows when and how this round will end?
New surge a blow to weak economy
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 15/04/2021
» Today's article is "breaking news" as I am in the midst of writing a five-part series about the liquidity crisis risk facing the country. I have already published the first two parts of the series -- origins of the risk and experience from 1997 economic crisis. I still have three more articles to go. They are: (1) warning signs of the risk, (2) shielding oneself from the risk, and (3) appropriate macro-economic policy responses. I do not want to break the series because warning signs are getting stronger every day such as the alarming US$8.4 billion (263 billion baht) outflow in March and the 154 billion baht government cash deficit in February.
When an economist meets a psychic
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 04/02/2021
» I enjoy reading prophecies. There is one thing fortune tellers and economists have in common: they make predictions. As an economist, I use my knowledge, theories and actual data, to check whether these prophecies make economic sense.
Money just does not fall from heaven
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 21/01/2021
» It is a pitiful dilemma, isn't it? When the economy is in a bad shape, you want the government to spend money (more money, and lots of money) to help shore up the economy. Like we are seeing in our country now. Alas, by spending money (more money, and lots of money), the government itself induces another kind of economic crisis -- a liquidity crisis.
New lockdown bodes economic misery
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 07/01/2021
» My first article of the year cannot be about anything but the Covid-19 lockdown. Actually, I planned to write about the two-month disappearance of the world-famous Jack Ma -- founder of Alibaba and Alipay. He has an innovative idea to revolutionise the Chinese financial system but his revolutionary idea was not agreeable with Chinese authorities and caused him to "disappear". What interests me is not China's internal affairs. But his idea, once put into use, will revolutionise the global economy as well. Milton Friedman (a Nobel Prize laureate in Economics and the father of monetary policy) and his Optimum Quantity of Money theory will become useless. His idea, if taken far enough, might be able to pull the world economy out of the Covid slump. Sound interesting? Readers have to wait until my next article, which will come in two weeks' time.
The job of a finance minister...
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 03/09/2020
» The resignation of Finance Minister Predee Daochai is a hot issue right now and I feel compelled to write about it, though I'd rather not discuss the cause -- which could be a combination of problems relating to health, internal disputes, political pressure, workloads, and unsolvable problems. Whatever the problems are, the minister has already made the decision which is gazetted. What's done is done.
More thoughts on the post-Covid world
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 27/08/2020
» News about Covid-19 vaccine development in Russia and other countries offers a ray of hope the pandemic could be ending soon and the world economy may return to normal.
This could get worse before it improves
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 16/07/2020
» This is not the first time the world has faced economic dangers but the Covid-19 outbreak is by far the most devastating. I have a feeling that it could beat the legendary 1930s Great Depression. There are many questions to ask, particularly about the future of the world and the Thai economy. I'd like to raise three questions as follows:
The economy is sick and pills won't do
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 02/07/2020
» Picture this: Your name is "Mr Thai Economy", and you have contracted the coronavirus in late January. After a close examination in March, doctors (the Bank of Thailand) said your health is of deep concern as GDP growth could go as low as -5.3%.