Thailand’s consumer sentiment climbed in September, marking the first uptick in eight months, supported by fresh economic stimulus initiatives and the installation of a new government, according to survey results released on Wednesday.
Data from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce revealed that the Thai consumer confidence index edged up to 50.7 in September, compared with 50.1 in August. The university attributed the increase to improving expectations fuelled by government policy and the country’s evolving political landscape.
Yesterday, The Cabinet approved a budget framework totaling 44 billion baht, allocated between economic stimulus funds and the central budget, covering all 20 million recipients of the scheme as proposed by the Ministry of Finance.
For the Khon-La-Krueng Plus project, ordinary citizens will receive a state transfer of 2,000 baht each (50:50 ratio) through the Pao Tang application. However, citizens who are part of the tax system will receive an increased transfer of 2,400 baht each (60:40 ratio). The Ministry of Finance initially estimates that this scheme could help increase the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by approximately 0.3-0.4%.
