Mr. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Minister of Finance stated at the “Bangkok Post Forum 2022 'Thailand Ready: Moving onto the Next Chapter' that starting September 1, the Phase 5 of the 'Half-Half' project will commence to stimulate domestic spending and ease the financial burden on citizens. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance is preparing to discuss with the Ministry of Energy to consider extending the diesel excise tax reduction measures until the end of 2022. Currently, the excise tax on diesel is reduced by 5 baht per liter, which is set to expire on September 20, due to the ongoing volatility in oil prices. The implementation of these measures will require careful consideration of various factors, particularly government revenue.

In the next 2-3 months, the Ministry of Finance will introduce measures to assist specific groups that are more affected by rising oil prices, such as public transport drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers, and taxi drivers using NGV gas. Additionally, there will be measures to assist with electricity costs, which the Ministry of Energy is currently reviewing. Previously, the government has maintained electricity prices to provide targeted assistance, focusing primarily on vulnerable groups impacted by these changes.

As for Thailand's public debt in July 2022, it stood at 60.75%, remaining close to the original ceiling of 60%. This reflects the government's strict adherence to financial discipline, in line with the expanded borrowing ceiling under Section 28%, which has increased from 30% to 35% of the annual budget. This allows the government to support farmers during periods of low rice prices through income guarantee programs. However, once the debt repayment budget set for the 2023 budget is settled, the debt ratio will decrease to 30%.