Latest news with #NationalInstituteofDevelopmentAdministration
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Stalled cash handout scheme sours voters on ruling party
Rungthiwa Pimphanit waited months for a long-promised cash handout of 10,000 baht (RM1,290) from Thailand's ruling party, which she backed in 2023 elections, but now the scheme to stimulate a stalling economy has been put on ice. 'There's no way I will vote for them again,' said the 34-year-old government employee from the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, who had counted on the money to pay for her son's school supplies. Rungthiwa's hopes withered last month after news that the scheme, a key election plank of the ruling Pheu Thai party, would be delayed, fuelling doubt about any recovery in South-East Asia's second largest economy after years of tepid growth. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra blamed steep tariffs proposed by the United States, but the delay to her government's flagship programme, on which it has already spent 174 billion baht, poses a major political risk, say analysts. 'No one will believe anything they say,' said Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the independent Political and Policy Analysis Institute. 'The government must keep its promises to the people. If they can't do what they said, it's over.' The government still has time left in its term, said spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub, reiterating that the scheme had only been postponed. The next polls are two years away. 'By that time, if the economy is good, there may even be something more than this programme,' he said. The handout scheme is popular across Thailand, with its continuation backed by about 60% of 1,310 respondents in a May survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, while about 46% said they would be angered if it was scrapped. 'I'm upset,' said 52-year-old Sathanee Siriphonchaikul in Bangkok, who had planned to use the funds to buy a washing machine. 'I don't think they'll do it again. The economy is bad.' — Reuters
Bloomberg
02-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Most Thais Not Confident in Paetongtarn's Government, Poll Shows
Most Thais are not confident in Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's government as it has failed to revive the nation's struggling economy over the past six months, according to an opinion poll. About 63% respondents said they were either 'not quite confident' or 'not confident at all' about the government's ability to solve the country's problems as there have been no major changes or clear results since it came to power, according to the Feb. 24-26 survey by the National Institute of Development Administration. The poll of 1,310 Thais aged 18 and above has a margin of error of 3%, the agency known as Nida said in a statement on Sunday.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Most Thais oppose government plans for casinos, online gambling, poll finds
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Most Thais oppose the government's plan to legalise casinos and online gambling, moves the authorities say would boost tourism and investment, an opinion survey found on Sunday. The government this month approved a draft law to allow casinos in entertainment complexes and gambling online. The only legal gambling in Thailand is at state-controlled horse races and a lottery, but soccer betting and underground gambling and lotteries are rife, with vast sums of money changing hands. In the poll by the National Institute of Development Administration, 69% of respondents opposed online gambling and 59% disagreed with both entertainment complexes and casinos, while 29% favoured both. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, surveyed 1,310 people. Neighbours, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar have large casino complexes. Thailand's government argues the nation is turning its back on revenue and not reaching its tourism potential. A key advocate of legalised gambling has been Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's father, billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. He said this month the legalisation could net the government as much as 100 billion baht ($3 billion) a year. ($1 = 33.54 baht)
