Bangkok: "Sudarat" encourages Team Thailand to negotiate US taxes, maintain national interests, and find new markets. She suggests dividing the budget from 157 billion baht to create a People's Fund Credit Project to help solve debt problems. Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, leader of the Thai Sang Thai Party, highlighted the pressing economic challenges, including the impact of US taxes on Thailand's economy.
According to Thai News Agency, Sudarat expressed concern over the current economic situation, noting that income is insufficient to cover expenses, and household debt is rising, particularly informal debt. She criticized the Ministry of Finance's lack of progress on a proposed fund to buy debt, while informal creditors charge merchants interest rates as high as 20% per month.
Sudarat also questioned the reallocation of 157 billion baht from the digital wallet budget to the construction budget, labeling it as a 'kickback budget.' She warned that this could hinder economic circulation, as anti-corruption organizations have indicated that at least 30% would be deducted, resulting in nearly 50 billion baht in kickbacks. Instead, she proposed setting aside 50 billion baht for a People's Fund Credit project with a low-interest rate of 1% per month, requiring no collateral.
She also addressed the US tax situation, dividing it into three categories: US investment, foreign products exploiting rights, and Thai SMEs involved in exporting agricultural products. Sudarat urged the government to carefully assess areas where Thailand does not produce enough and consider importing from the US, despite potential health risks, such as chemical contamination in imported pork.
'I am concerned and support the government, especially the Thailand team, to use their efforts in negotiation and maintaining Thailand's interests, as well as finding new markets for Thais, such as the Indonesian market and the South American market, which still have purchasing power, but I have not seen any government action,' said Khunying Sudarat.