News
Negative income tax under study
Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said on June 8 that his ministry was studying ways to pay for the proposal. In May, the Cabinet approved a Bt50 billion assistance package for low-income earners. The government is considering whether funds from this package could help pay for the ...
Low-income people around country register for new round of state welfare
A large number of low-income people queued up to apply for state welfare as the second round of registrations opened nationwide on April 3. Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said at least 10 million people were expected to register in this round, which ends on May ...
Finance Ministry plans reforms in five areas
The Finance Ministry is going ahead with economic reforms in five areas, while standing ready to invest in infrastructure in the hope of making Thailand a transport hub for the CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) subregion. Speaking at an event called “SET in the ...
Election to be held after coronation, Finance Minister tells fund managers
Foreign fund managers posed several questions to Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong after he gave his keynote speech at the CLSA ASEAN Forum 2017 on March 9. One member of the audience asked Apisak when the general election would take place, adding that investors really wanted to ...
2018 budget deficit hiked
The government has agreed to set a larger budget deficit of 450 billion baht for fiscal 2018, marking a fresh attempt to rev up the economy. The next fiscal year’s budget expenditure is set at 2.9 trillion baht, with revenue collection of 2.45 trillion baht, ...
Revenue chief upbeat on target
The Revenue Department is comfortable with its revenue target for this fiscal year as it is optimistic the improving economy and accelerating public investment will generate higher tax revenue, its chief says. Economic growth in 2017 could expand at a faster pace than the past ...
Makkasan land deal derails
The Finance Ministry has backed away from developing the 500-rai Makkasan plot owned by the State Railway of Thailand under a debt-for-land deal with the rail agency. The State Enterprise Policy Commission, or the superboard, earlier agreed to a proposal that the SRT lease the Makkasan ...
Amendments to agricultural land ownership approved
The cabinet on October 18 approved amendments to the Agricultural Land Reform Act, which has been in force for 40 years, in a move to narrow land ownership disparity and maintain existing land for agriculture. Key amendments include permitting heirs who do not want to ...
