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Inflation will rise slightly after increasing civil service salaries
Ampawan Pichalai, director of Commerce
Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office.
Thailand’s Commerce Ministry said last Friday a plan to increase civil
servants’ salaries by 8 percent, expected to start in 2015, would impact
inflation in the country only 0.05 percent, said Ampawan Pichalai, director
of Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office.
Ampawan said inflation in
Thailand would be affected marginally after the increase because Thailand’s
economy has still not fully recovered while goods production is still not at
full capacity and bank interest rates remain unchanged.
She argued that the increase in civil servants’ salaries would help boost
consumers’ purchasing power and simultaneously assist in helping the
country’s economy recover faster.
It is forecast that inflation during the second half of this year would
stand around 2.4 to 2.5 percent. (MCOT)
Low cost Thai Smile airline inaugurates first flight at Don Mueang
Thai Smile, the low cost subsidiary of Thailand’s
national flag carrier, Thai Airways International (THAI), officially
launched its first flight and services earlier August 8.
The airline expressed satisfaction, as it has been well received by the
public and reservations for each flight are booked at more than 90 percent.
The inauguration ceremony took place at Don Mueang Airport, and was attended
by THAI, Thai Smile, and Nok Air executives.
According to THAI Senior Executive Vice President for Commercial, Suraphon
Israngura Na Ayuthya, Thai Smile has brought three domestic routes to Don
Mueang, including three flights each for the Don Muang-Chiang Mai and Don
Mueang-Khon Kaen routes, and two flights for the Don Mueang-Phuket route.
The low cost carrier was promoting cheap air tickets prior to its official
launching, which was well received by the general public.
THAI and all of its subsidiary airlines will move their bases of operations
to Don Muang International Airport in October, and the group plans to create
flight schedules which complement one another.
The company believes that the market for services at Don Mueang would expand
further in the near future and that more passengers would opt to choose Thai
Smile for their journeys. (MCOT)
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Thai consumer confidence index makes 11 month high in July
Thanawat Ponvichai, director
of the Centre of Economics and Business Forecasting of the University of
Thai Chamber of Commerce.
The Centre of Economics and Business Forecasting of the
University of Thai Chamber of Commerce reported that its July survey found
Thailand’s consumer confidence index was at 68.5, its highest level in 11
months thanks to political stability.
It also found that in July the index of consumer happiness was the highest
in 13 months, that of consumer attitudes towards politics was the best in 34
months, that of consumer confidence in buying new vehicles exceeded 100 for
the first time in eight months, that of consumer confidence in buying new
houses was the highest in 13 months and that of consumer confidence in the
economic outlook improved.
The centre predicts that the Thai economy will grow by more than 2 percent
this year due to economic stimulation measures and by 5 percent next year
thanks to the National Council for Peace and Order’s decision to invest
Bt2.4 trillion in infrastructure development.
It predicted the Thai public would spend Bt12 billion on Mother’s Day, up
3.2 percent year-on-year, Bt19.4 billion on the four-day extended weekend
including, up 6.8 percent year-on-year, and nearly Bt3 billion on the
Chinese Autumn Festival, or Chinese Ghost Festival on Sunday, August 10, up
7.6 percent year-on-year.
Thanawat Ponvichai, director of the centre, supports a plan to spend Bt50
billion of state funds to help low-income people. He said that would
increase the national economic growth by 0.3 percent and push up inflation
by only 0.1 percent. (MCOT)
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Wildlife laws to be amended to address ivory trade
The Commerce Ministry is now accelerating the amendment
of laws related to crimes against wildlife with the aim of restoring
confidence overseas, as Thailand is facing boycott threats over trade of
more than 35,000 items of endangered wildlife and flora, said Pongpan
Gearaviriyapun, director-general of the Ministry’s Business Development
Department.
In line with a policy of the National Council for Peace and Order which
seized power in Thailand during the May 22 bloodless military takeover, Ms
Pongpan said concerned officials would amend the law following charges by
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) that Thailand did not enforce law ratified by member
countries.
Pongpan said the charges by CITES have caused a large impact on Thailand’s
exports, especially Thai orchids.
In another development, permanent secretary for Commerce Chutima
Bunyapraphasara will find measures in rectifying smuggling of elephant
tusks, in which Thailand is one of the eight countries closely monitored by
foreign countries.
The deadline for the kingdom to solve this problem is August 2015, and if
the issue remains unsolved, a boycott on the import of Thai products,
including orchids, could be imposed, said Ms Chutima.
Pongpan said her department would register current elephant tusk traders so
that close monitoring could be carried out.
The department would seek cooperation from concerned government agencies in
compiling the names of traders.
And in order to restore confidence from the international community, Pongpan
said ivory traders who have not yet registered themselves should do so
immediately.
Harsh legal punishments would be imposed against those neglecting the order
and who continued to engage in the illegal trade, she added. (MCOT)
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