Will Cash Stimulus Jump-Start the Thai Economy?

Will Cash Stimulus Jump-Start the Thai Economy?

2023 has not been a stellar year for the Thai economy. The Bank of Thailand was projecting GDP to grow by 3.6 percent for the year, but that figure was later revised down to 2.8 percent. This is mostly because Thailand’s economy is built around exports of goods and services, especially tourism. Since 2021, policymakers … Read more

It Is Time For the Thai Authorities to Step Up Their Strategic Communication

It Is Time For the Thai Authorities to Step Up Their Strategic Communication

It would be no exaggeration to say that Thailand is a country in deep distress. Its economy, though not exactly bad, is sluggish. The Thai population is among the fastest aging on earth, hence the disappearing workforce and more demand for healthcare services (these are real first-world problems, yet Thailand remains classified as an upper … Read more

Thai Cabinet Approves Draft Law on Marriage Equality

Thai Cabinet Approves Draft Law on Marriage Equality

Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a draft law on marriage equality and that will be brought to parliament during a session starting next month, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said yesterday. Srettha told reporters that the draft law is expected to be proposed to Parliament on December 12. Karom Polpornklang, a deputy government spokesperson, elaborated on … Read more

How Will Thailand’s Foreign Policy Shift Under Srettha Thavisin?

How Will Thailand’s Foreign Policy Shift Under Srettha Thavisin?

Since coming to office in September, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has quickly recorded some significant international mileage, with trips not just to neighboring Southeast Asian states but also further abroad to the Middle East and major destinations like Beijing and New York. As Srettha’s international agenda takes hold, this will raise the broader question … Read more

Despite Criticisms, Thailand to Press Ahead With $13.8 Billion Stimulus Plan

Despite Criticisms, Thailand to Press Ahead With $13.8 Billion Stimulus Plan

On Friday, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin defended his government’s controversial multibillion-dollar stimulus plan, waving away concerns that the project could be an economic cure worse than the disease. The 560 billion baht ($15.66 billion) “digital wallet” policy, which was among his Pheu Thai Party’s promises at the May 14 election, is designed to deliver … Read more

Thailand’s High-Speed Railway: On the Fast Track to Ties With China, But at What Cost?

Thailand’s High-Speed Railway: On the Fast Track to Ties With China, But at What Cost?

On October 19, while in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expressed his government’s commitment to accelerating the construction of the long-delayed China-Thailand railway. “Logistics is one of the significant issues for Thailand regarding BRI cooperation,” he said in an interview with Xinhua prior to his visit. He promised … Read more

ISOC Once Again Puts Thailand’s Government Between the People and the Military

Thailand Under Fire For Brokering ‘Informal’ Meeting on Myanmar

Last week, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin made his first visit to the headquarters of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) at Ruen Ruedi Palace in Bangkok. In addition to serving as prime minister and finance minister, Srettha also serves as director of ISOC, which was set up in the 1960s as part of a … Read more

Thailand’s Buffet Cabinet 2.0: A Case of Political Indigestion

Thailand’s New Prime Minister: The Parliamentary Vote and the Aftermath

The Pheu Thai-led government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is a Frankenstein’s monster cobbled together from some 10 political parties, and includes ministers from six parties. The fact that junior coalition partners Bhumjaithai, Palang Pracharath, and Thai Raksa Chart managed to get 16 of the 36 total ministerial portfolios, including the interior, agriculture, energy, and … Read more

Thailand’s Overlooked ‘Misstep’ in the Israel-Gaza War

Thailand’s Overlooked ‘Misstep’ in the Israel-Gaza War

In this photo provided by Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, Thai and Israeli officials, including the Thai Ambassador to Israel Pannabha Chandraramya, right, pay respect to the bodies of eight Thai nationals killed in Israel during the Israel-Hamas war, at the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, October 19, 2023, before the bodies are sent back … Read more

A Bad Idea Revisited: Thailand Pitches Prayut’s ‘Land Bridge’ to Beijing

A Bad Idea Revisited: Thailand Pitches Prayut’s ‘Land Bridge’ to Beijing

Advertisement A very old idea has resurfaced in Thailand. In a direct pitch to Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Chinese investors at the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held in Beijing last week, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin touted the benefits of a large “land bridge” linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In particular, he … Read more