The Pheu Thai Party has vowed to take charge of all ministries that handle economic affairs to carry out its campaign policies if it is elected to lead the government after the next election.
Nearly 100 partners of Tookdee convenience stores, operated by TD Tawandang Co under CBG, have filed complaints with the Office of Trade Competition Commission (OTCC) to investigate whether their contracts with TD Tawandang are legitimate.
Spending ahead of the May 14 general election is estimated to reach as much as Bt120b ($3.5 billion) said UTCC.
Pheu Thai eyes economic posts: Prommin touts ‘three-step ladder’ plan. The Pheu Thai Party has vowed to take charge of all ministries that handle economic affairs to carry out its campaign policies if it is elected to lead the government after the next election. Bangkok Post
TAT raises expectations for Chinese visitors this year: The target for inbound Chinese tourists this year has been upgraded to 6-7 million from 5 million, with more than 250,000 of them scheduled to visit Thailand in April, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Bangkok Post
New electricity rates ‘won’t be cut back’: A uniform electricity rate of 4.77 baht/unit for both households and businesses from May through August cannot be lowered, said Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Panmeechaow. Bangkok Post
Policy rate raised to 1.75%: Hike part of move to tamp down inflation. The Bank of Thailand hiked its policy rate by 0.25 percentage points yesterday for a fifth consecutive meeting in an attempt to tame inflation as the economic recovery gathers steam. Bangkok Post
Govt defends electricity bill hike: The government is defending its decision to raise the fuel tariff (Ft) price for households from May to August as suitable after the government’s 3.2-billion baht subsidy for vulnerable groups ends in April. Bangkok Post
The government has enforced a sugar-based excise tax on beverages since 2017. The third stage of the excise tax hike for sugar-sweetened beverages comes into effect on April 1 after a six-month government postponement expires. Nutthakorn Utensute, the Excise Department’s principal advisor on excise control system development, believes the tax hike based on sugar content will not increase costs for manufacturers of sugary drinks or consumers as producers have already adjusted their recipes to avoid the tax. Bangkok Post
Passenger demand is driving the aviation industry, even as costly fares and labour shortages limit growth. Global aviation has experienced a promising start to the year as travel restrictions have been lifted, allowing people to fly with fewer barriers. Even countries with strict Covid-19 policies, such as China, lifted their restrictions earlier than expected. The World Tourism Organization predicts Europe and the Middle East will reach prepandemic international tourist levels this year, forecasting an 80-95% overall recovery, while the Pacific Asia Travel Association projects a growth rate of at least 71%. Bangkok Post
