People have high aspirations for the government to keep its promises to address bread-and-butter issues affecting their lives and move the market around as it lays out its policy statement in parliament on Monday.
Companies and job organizations have been questioned by The Bangkok Post about their worries and potential solutions to the new administration’s problems.
Demand monetary signal
The private sector has urged the coalition government led by Pheu Thai to develop stimulus plans to jump-start the business, increase consumption, and draw in foreign visitors.
The leader of the Thai Restaurant Association, Thaniwan Koonmongkon, expressed her desire for the government to reduce rising production costs, especially high electricity costs that drive up the cost of consumer products.
Ms. Thaniwan stated that” the government should take action to control the costs of liquefied petroleum gas and automobile energy.” Smaller franchises, which must spend a lot of money on LPG and transportation, appear to benefit more from current actions than large ones.
She claimed that while some small businesses simply raise their food prices by 5 – 10 baht, larger businesses are unable to do so and must instead lower their portions and sell at the same prices or engage in sales-boosting promotions.
She likewise urged the new administration to continue a strategy started by its father that gave restaurants access to low-interest loans during the Covid-19 epidemic. In this strategy, borrowers pay only interest while principal payments are waived for an extended period of time.
She suggested that the government extend the discharge of principal payments to assist restaurant owners because it is about to expire.
The government may frequently launch campaigns to encourage Thai food in order to draw in foreign tourists, Ms. Thaniwan continued.
She stated that” The World Kaphrao Thailand Grand Prix 2023 is a good illustration of how we can promote soft power.”
Thaniwan: The current policies merely benefit small eateries.
A national competition to find the best kaphrao recipe in the nation is the subject of the event, which is called” the Greatest Kasparo on Earth.” Next month, it took place close to the Hua Lamphong train station along Klong Phadung Krung Kasem.
She added that in order to encourage private spending, the government’s 10, 000 baht digital wallet scheme may be put into effect as soon as possible.
Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, recently stated that the government would distribute 10,000 baht in online currency to Thais over the age of 16 by February 1 and insisted on doing so all at once.
With the aid of bitcoin systems, the giveaway aims to encourage local communities to spend money within a 4-kilometer radius of the recipients’ registered address in the first six months.
Food merchant Kanyarat Heman lamented the rising cost of food ingredients in addition to the high price of renting her food stand at a business in the Bang Na area.
She suggested that those who qualify for the program sell meal at controlled prices and demanded that the government give vendors low-interest loans.
She continued,” The government should even subsidise food charges as it does gas rates.”
attracting visitors
Sanga: 25 % of visitors are Taiwanese.
The Khao San Road Business Association’s chairman, Sanga Ruangwattanakul, stated that the street has long been a well-liked destination in Bangkok for international backpackers.
He claimed that other regions, like Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui in Surat Thani and Bang La Road in Phuket’s Kathu area, have identical traveler chat that are well-known for their lively pleasure.
While welcoming the administration’s proposed visa-free scheme for Chinese guests, which is widely regarded as a powerful short-term signal, Mr. Sanga said that all agencies must work together to move out measures to draw in more tourists.
Foreign visitors to Thailand are required to give a card fee of approximately US$ 50 [ 1, 800 ringgit ] per person. According to him, one-fourth of visitors to Thailand are Taiwanese.
More than 40 million foreigners traveled to Thailand before the Covid-19 crisis, with approximately 11 million of them being Chinese visitors. The target is about 25 million people this year, 7 – 8 million of whom will be Chinese visitors.
He stated that” the implementation of the visa-free plan will greatly aid in revitalizing the market.”
He continued,” The authorities should control the planning of leisure venues to permit Bangkok’s well-known nightclubs, such as Khao San Road, Ratchadaphisek Road and Soi Thong Lo, to open later.”
Employees’ objectives
Sawit: There is a chance that people will lose their jobs.
Lack of job security, short-term contracts, and outsourcing contracting, according to Sawit Kaeowan, seat of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, are a big concern for workers because they negatively impact their rights and benefits.
Workers may make plans for their potential because they are constantly in danger of losing their jobs at any time, he claimed.
According to him, staff in Bangkok and the nearby provinces earn the maximum daily income of 353 ringgit due to rising living expenses, making it difficult for them to make ends meet on a daily basis.
He noted that they don’t get paid when they are on vacation, but they do get a pay only for the work completed on that particular day.
According to Mr. Sawit,” That means they work six days a year but they still have to devote seven time.”
In order to support their families, they therefore have to labor extra to earn extra money. Some people are forced to use mortgage fish, who demand exorbitant interest rates.
He urged the new administration to honor its commitment to raise standards of living, cut rising costs, and lower travel expenses, specifically along Bangkok’s electric rail system.
According to Mr. Sawit,” I think the majority of people may give the government a chance to function and meet people’s anticipation.”
He continued by saying that the ruling Pheu Thai Party may give more information about how to carry out its promise of a 25, 000 ringgit salary for bachelor’s degree graduates and achieve its proposed minimal daily income of 600 ringgit by 2027.
Additionally, according to Mr. Sawit, the alliance government’s Bhumjaithai Party did not put forth any specific labor-related procedures during the election.
In order to bring labor problems to his interest, he promised to meet with assistant Bhumjaithai head and Labour Minister Phitphat Ratchakitparakarn.
assisting the underclass
The head of the Thai Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Association, Chalerm Changthongmadun, urges the authorities to make sure that motorbike taxi drivers are properly regulated and registered under the rules.
Just about 80 000 of the roughly 130 000 aspirants for licenses in Bangkok have successfully registered, he claimed, adding that the application process is fraught with paperwork and demoralizes candidates.
Mr. Chalerm claimed that the curb has made it difficult for drivers to get areas for their stands in relation to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s ban on motorbike taxi stands on city sidewalks.
He added that it is also very expensive to rent private areas for the goes.
According to Mr. Chalerm,” We want the government to install surveillance cameras on the bike taxi stands so we can serve those in need.”
Additionally, he advises the government to take steps to give motorbike taxi owners access to alternative energy sources in order to lower gas costs.
Now, it is against the rules for motorcycle taxi drivers to sell their licensed vests to customers without a valid license because doing so puts the safety of the passengers at risk.
Shirts for motorbike taxi drivers with licenses used to fetch hundreds of baht. Additionally, it was claimed that this unlawful training led drivers to overcharge passengers.
However, Mr. Chalerm argued that the government does legalize the sale of jackets and establish a minimum price for them so that drivers in need of cash can do so or use them as loan collateral.
Additionally, he stated that the government ought to support initiatives to create a program that would allow customers to use licensed motorbike taxi drivers’ services.
He claimed that he had previously discussed these topics with Mr. Srettha at Pheu Thai’s office.
Within two weeks, he claimed, the PM did order the Transport Minister to convene a committee to investigate these issues.
According to Public Taxi Driver Association President Boonserm Sompong, car drivers are currently struggling to make ends meet due to rising energy costs.
The relationship asked the group to establish a fund for car drivers who could no longer function due to old age or impairments because drivers are not covered by social security during Pheu Thai’s election campaign.
In order for drivers to make enough money, he also suggested raising the existing car fare rate from 35 to 45 baht.
Boonserm: Car individuals are having trouble with their gas prices.
