People queue for assistance in front of a bank in Thailand (Photo: www.bangkokpost.com)
Bangkok (VNA) – 💛Thailand’s cabinet on June 16approved four aid packages for people hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemicwho have not previously been given help.
♋Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said therecipients included 1.16 million holders of state welfare cards who have notreceived any state assistance during the pandemic.
They would be given 1,000 THB (32 USD) a month each duringMay to July, with 3.49 billion THB allocated to the package.
Another group was 302,160 people who were unsuccessful inregistering for help on a website. They must not have received any stateassistance before and they must not be workers under Section 33 of the SocialSecurity Act. A budget of 906 million THB was allocated for this group, Rachadasaid.
The third group was people in a fragile state selected bythe Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
💃Some 6.78 million people in this group had not received anystate assistance before, including nearly 1.4 million children under six inpoor families, over 4 million over-60 people and more than 1.3 million peoplewith disabilities. Total support budget for the group was 20.3 billion THB.
The fourth group was farmers whose lives were affected bythe pandemic.
There were 137,093 in need who did not get access toagricultural infrastructure, and another 120,000 farmers whose registration forstate assistance on May 15 was unsuccessful.
𒆙The same day, the Thai cabinet also approved a domestictourism stimulus worth 22.4 billion THB to revitalise a key sector of thecountry./.
The Prime Minister of Thailand has thanked all Thai people for their contribution to the fight against COVID-19, saying that have helped place Thailand second among countries recovering best from the COVID-19 epidemic.
Thailand has gone 21 straight days with no new COVID-19 cases recorded on June 15, keeping the total number of infections in Thailand at 3,135 with 58 deaths.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has urged the Board of Investment (BoI) to make tax incentives and investment packages more attractive to foreign agri-businesses to turn Thailand into an investment hub for CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) countries.
The Thai cabinet on June 16 approved a domestic tourism package worth 22.4 billion THB (720 million USD) to revitalise a key sector hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
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Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
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The facility was established in response to a growing shift in the Filipino labour force from the Middle East to Japan, where workers are seeking safer working environments.
In the latest Indonesia-US trade agreement in July, the US administration agreed to reduce the reciprocal tariff, which was initially set at 32% by US President Donald Trump last April, to 19%.
Real estate agency ERA Singapore estimated that there are 2,703 condo developments in Singapore today, of which 836 or 31% are at least 30 years old. In 10 years, this number is expected to climb to 1,160, assuming none is sold en bloc.
People queue for assistance in front of a bank in Thailand (Photo: www.bangkokpost.com) 
