Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, spoke at the Thailand Annual Economic Symposium “The Future Direction of Thailand 2025” on 8 October 2025.
In summary, Mr. Ekniti confirmed that within the next four months, the current government’s Ministry of Finance will roll out continuous economic stimulus measures every week, starting with the “Khon La Khrueng Plus” project as the first package, directly aiming to boost private and public consumption.
The Deputy Prime Minister further stated that the following measures will focus on promoting tourism in secondary cities and increasing government spending nationwide, supporting seminars in both main and secondary cities and facilitating loans for local hotels to renovate and upgrade accommodation to better serve tourists.
Mr. Ekniti stated that Thailand’s economy may have passed the so-called “turning point” slightly. If adaptation is not swift, economic growth will slow even more. Therefore, the government must urgently introduce proactive measures in every dimension.
Regarding assistance for people facing non-performing loan (NPL) problems, Mr. Ekniti stated that the Ministry of Finance would allocate part of the rehabilitation and development fund for the financial institution system—about THB 26 billion remaining with the Bank of Thailand—to asset management companies (AMCs) to buy bad debts out of the system, helping to reduce debt burdens, extend repayment periods, and encourage financial discipline among citizens. There will also be small-scale loans to provide liquidity to vulnerable groups.
After introducing public assistance and debt resolution measures, Mr. Ekniti outlined plans to aid SME entrepreneurs, dividing them into two main groups: general SMEs and SMEs within the supply chain.
Especially for the supply chain group, the government will have the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG) guarantee loans so that commercial banks can extend more credit, and introduce “Supply Chain Financing” credit for those with pending receivables from the state but who have yet to receive payments and are experiencing liquidity problems, enabling banks to provide financing through digital systems to accelerate the money flow.
Mr. Ekniti added that the Ministry of Finance will consult with the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and large listed companies to launch the “Big Brother Program,” introducing tax incentives for large corporates to support SMEs, and speeding up corporate income tax refunds for business operators with tax arrears, subject to later post-audits, similar to the COVID period when more than 60% of refunds were granted without adverse fiscal impact.
Additionally, the National Savings Fund (NSF) has been assigned to move forward with the “NSF Lottery” or “Retirement Lottery” project, encouraging long-term savings for citizens together with partial refunds to buyers of digital lottery L6 who did not win, via a new savings account type managed like an investment account.
Account holders can withdraw funds at age 55, and, if over 55, must hold the funds for an additional 5 years. The funds may also be used as loan collateral at banks. This project will not invest directly in the stock market but will encourage savings through mutual funds to build long-term financial security for citizens.
In closing, Mr. Ekniti reiterated his confidence that within these four months, the economic team, under the Prime Minister’s leadership, will introduce measures to keep the Thai economy afloat, with the long-term aim of demonstrating Thailand’s potential and readiness to move forward.
