Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday presented his government’s policy program to parliament, highlighting urgent steps aimed at lifting Thailand’s struggling economy, the second largest in Southeast Asia.
Anutin’s policies include measures to reduce living costs, tackle household debt and stimulate domestic tourism, with Thailand now struggling with U.S. tariffs, high household debt, weak consumption and a soaring baht.
“With limited time and a budget not prepared by this government, as well as being a minority administration, the government must urgently address the challenges currently facing the nation,” he told parliament.
Among the economic measures, the government will assist with individuals with debt not exceeding 100,000 baht ($3,103) and provide liquidity of up to 1 million baht for smaller businesses, he said.
New Schemes
On Friday, the government also announced plans to launch a 47 billion baht ($1.46 billion) co-payment scheme, in which the government will subsidise up to 60% of the costs of certain food and consumer goods purchased by qualified Thai citizens.
Other priorities include the peaceful resolution of a dispute with Cambodia, combating illegal gambling, and enhancing disaster preparedness through the use of advanced warning systems, Anutin said.
Anutin’s government has a limited window to implement its measures, with the premier last week announcing that he planned to dissolve parliament by the end of January, leading to a general election in March or early April.
A majority of Thais are undecided on who is the prime minister of their choice, but support for Anutin jumped to 20.4% from 9.6% previously.
He trails the leader of the main opposition People’s Party, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, who received 22.8%, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration published on Sunday.
After lagging regional peers with growth of 2.5% in 2024, Thailand’s economy is projected to expand by 1.8% to 2.3% this year, according to the state planning agency, with a slowdown expected in the second half of 2025 because of U.S. tariffs.
($1 = 32.23 baht)
(With inputs from Reuters)
