Local people shop at a shopping mall in Bangkok. (Photo: EPA/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – The Thai Government announced on January 1 that itwill channel efforts into bolstering economic growth and alleviating extremepoverty in 2018.
The announcement was made in the context that many experts have warned of signsof a deteriorating economy, including mass layoffs in several sectors.
The government’s spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said that prioritywould be given to boosting economic growth and tackling bread-and-butterissues. The government planned to allocate an big amount of money to improvelocal livelihoods, using the tourism and agricultural sectors as mechanisms tocreate sustainability in the economy, he noted.
According to Sansern, many economic indexes like GDP growth and inflation rateshowed that the Thai economy has been strengthened while exports are enjoyingsound expansion and the government’s large investments in infrastructureprojects involving the Eastern Economic Corridor have brought upbeat results.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had acknowledged that besides macro-economicdevelopment, it is crucial to strengthen the economy by seeking markets andadding value to agricultural products such as rice, rubber and palm oil, thespokesman said.-VNA
The Forest Industry Organization (FIO) has unveiled a plan to promote the expansion of economic forests to boost incomes of agriculturists and the extent of treed areas.
The Thai Ministry of Commerce reports exports in November of this year grew 13.36 percent, the highest rate for the year, with overall exports during the first 11 months up 10.01 percent.
Thailand will begin reduce the export of natural rubber as from January 2018 to counter declining world rubber prices, according to the country’s agriculture ministry.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Local people shop at a shopping mall in Bangkok. (Photo: EPA/VNA) 
