Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has recently met with the Bank of Thailand (BOT) to discuss an overview of the economic situation.
He acknowledged that when it comes to interest rate trends, the Prime Minister has no authority to interfere or dictate the operations of the BOT, as it is an independent organization responsible for overseeing monetary policy.
The meeting focused on international events and the ongoing situation of negative inflation for 2-3 months. The specifics will be announced by the BOT. The outcome of the discussions seems promising, but it depends on individual and party perspectives as it involves an exchange of ideas.
The Prime Minister also tasked the Ministry of Finance and the Securities and Exchange Commission to take care of investors, especially after several private sector bond issuers have defaulted or requested debt repayment extensions due to insufficient liquidity.
He inquired about the progress and informed the relevant agencies to warn investors, particularly about high-risk (Low Investment Grade) private company bonds. He also urged the Office of the Insurance Commission to expedite COVID-19 insurance claims, as many people have not yet received their compensation, to support those affected during this period.
Regarding discussions with the executives of AirAsia Malaysia, they expressed interest in investing to make Thailand a hub for aviation services. This is due to confidence in the country’s approach to promoting tourism and aviation, along with an additional order of 200 aircraft, indicating a positive trend for Thai tourism promotion. (NNT)
