Palang Pracharath Party Trying to Woo Voters

In a run up to the general elections, the Palang Pracharath Party in Thailand has brought in new key policies which includes a minimum wage hike to 400-425 baht a day and personal income tax cuts. The pro-regime party also proposed the minimum salary for vocational or skilled workers to be raised to 18,000 baht a month and 20,000 baht a month for new graduates.

Uttama Savanayana, the party leader said they will also cut personal income tax by 10 per cent if they came into power. "This means people earning less than 200,000 baht a year would be tax-exempt, up from the current tax-free threshold of 150,000 baht a year. And for new graduates, the personal income tax will be waived for five years. For online vendors, tax will be exempted for two years while SME operators will have access to low-interest loans."

Savanayana said mom-and-pop shop owners will be able to compete through the use of technology and increase their bargaining power with manufacturers. "They will also receive a credit line of one million baht each to adjust themselves."

The party is also keen on sustainable growth and aims to increase national revenue to 19 trillion baht by 2022. Savanayana said their policies have been carefully though through. He said Thailand will be rich through the Palang Pracharat power which focuses on cooperation between the government and the private sector to help the needy.