SAHA Group recommends freezing VAT at 7 percent

BANGKOK, 9 June 2015, (NNT) - President of the SAHA Group Boonyasit Chokwattana told news media that consumer spending has yet to fully recover, recommending the government hold Value Added Tax (VAT) at 7 percent and minimum wage at 300 baht per day.

The SAHA Group President advised that the government freeze the minimum wage at 300 baht and the VAT at 7 percent. He said a hike in either would greatly affect living expenses of the people.

Mr. Boonyasit also urged the government to organized more campaigns to promote consumerism, offering discounts to essential household items. The SAHA Group President is convinced that these campaigns would help ease the financial burden of the people.

He believed that these items along with goods related to service products would likely face a hike, due to rising fuel prices. However, Mr. Boonyasit affirmed that his company would not be increasing its prices this year.


-- NNT 2015-06-09

Actually increasing the VAT to 10 % would have a greater positive effect on everybody. The tax should exclude

food staples/drinking water/ medical supplies/baby formula etc. which are the only things average Thais would buy. The increase would only affect, mainly, those, like myself, who buy the big ticket & luxury items & can afford the higher tax.

somebody wakes me up when the house debt is at 99% gdp