New Thai government considers resuming co-payment scheme
Comparing the proposed co-payment revival with the digital wallet promoted by the outgoing Pheu Thai government, a leader of the Bhumjaithai Party said that Khon La Khrueng is more likely to deliver tangible results.
Bangkok (VNA) – The Bhumjaithai Party, which will lead the ruling coalition in the new government of Thailand, has confirmed that it is considering reviving the government’s “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves) co-payment scheme as part of efforts to stimulate Thailand’s slowing economy.
Deputy leader of the party Siripong Angkasakulkiat said recently that discussions about the plan are already under way within its executive committee and policy teams as they prepare to take the reins of government.
The revived version of the scheme may offer greater benefits than its predecessors, he added.
Comparing the proposed co-payment revival with the digital wallet promoted by the outgoing Pheu Thai government, Siripong said that Khon La Khrueng is more likely to deliver tangible results.
He also shared that public sentiment, particularly on social media, leans in favour of the co-payment scheme, which requires less government funding while still encouraging more robust money circulation.
🏅 Khon La Khrueng, first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed the government to subsidise half of people’s daily purchases up to a fixed limit, easing household burdens while injecting cash directly into the economy./.
Chinese goods are at the highest risk of flooding the Thai market, with 1,149 items imported from China, including 24 high-risk items and 166 items under surveillance, mainly in the automotive and consumer goods sectors.
Local media quoted Thai Deputy Minister of Commerce Chantavit Tandhasit as saying that he attended a Special ASEAN-India Economic Ministers’ Meeting on August 28 to push for progress on the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).
Safety remains a top priority in the national tourism policy of Thailand, and the Thai government is pursuing parallel efforts to promote tourism and ensure public security.
CAMEX features 17 themed pavilions, including 10 dedicated to ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – as well as a regional pavilion from Guangxi, China. It also hosts a special World Halal Trade Centre and themed areas for other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) members such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The Indonesian government has confirmed that it will stop providing incentives for imported completely built-up (CBU) battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2026.
The ministry warned that the RSV can easily spread through mucus, saliva and toys around children. Currently, there is no specific treatment or RSV vaccine for children, so families were urged to take preventive measures.
Thailand has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing markets for artificial intelligence (AI), with OpenAI reporting that weekly active users of ChatGPT in the country have quadrupled over the past year.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is driving forward the Land Bridge mega-project, valued at nearly 1 trillion THB (31.5 billion USD), to stimulate the economy and attract long-term investment.
A discussion on Vietnamese cuisine, culture and tourism was held in Tel Aviv on September 14, aiming to deepen the understanding of Vietnamese culture and promote people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Israel, especially as the two countries expand cooperation across multiple fields.
Confirmed initiatives include the revival of the popular "Half-Half" co-payment scheme. Other proposals under discussion - though not yet finalised - include the "We Travel Together" tourism stimulus programme, decentralisation efforts and disaster mitigation strategies.
Fidel’s words to the gathered soldiers: “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood!” captured the very essence of the friendship forged between the two nations, a relationship nurtured through resilience, dignity, and internationalist spirit.
The satellite Nusantara 5 (N5), launched by Indonesia, is expected to strengthen connectivity in Indonesia's eastern region, supporting distance learning, digital health care, and providing access to information and entertainment for remote communities.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is preparing 17 locations to be designated as specific national strategic areas (KSNT) for blue carbon reserves.
The ASEAN task force is not identical to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) but is intended to serve as a platform for collective discussions and joint actions when ASEAN countries face shared threats.
The 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) on September 11 agreed to present three ASEAN Leaders’ Declarations at the 47th ASEAN Summit in this October.
With clashes arising from time to time worldwide, Asia should continue to keep dialogue channels open, exercise restraint when conflicts emerge, and strengthen regional mechanisms that can help manage differences.
In addition to rice, Indonesia is resolute in prohibiting imports of corn and table sugar in 2025, and is determined to optimise domestic production through pro-farmer policies in pursuit of food self-sufficiency.
Thailand, now ranked first in the world for weather modification, continues to expand its royal rainmaking programme to combat drought and support agriculture nationwide.
The 10 initiatives include restoring the ecosystems and the availability of food-producing land, intensification and assistance for farmers, developing community-based food systems, increasing local food diversification, and increasing animal protein consumption, among others.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is tapping into India’s high-spending wedding market through The Celebration with Care Wedding Planners Fam Trip & Trade Meet.