Ekniti unveils 2026 plan, aims for 2% GDP growth
Ekniti says “quick big win” measures, NPL debt relief, SME credit boosts and BOI fast-track projects will support Thailand’s 2026 economy, targeting 2% growth
Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has set out a plan to steer the economy through the transition period before a new government takes office, saying the administration will rely on pre-approved “quick win” measures to sustain momentum and support growth towards 2% in 2026.
Thailand’s economy faces heightened risks from both domestic and external factors this year, while the scope for new fiscal stimulus is more limited because parliament has been dissolved and the country is preparing for a general election on Saturday, February 8.
Until a new cabinet is formed, the current government will continue to oversee the economy, mainly by implementing measures approved earlier — including investment acceleration and debt relief for low-income borrowers under the “Close debt fast, move forward” programme, which opened for registration on Monday, January 5.
Ekniti said the Finance Ministry had prepared and approved measures in advance to ensure continuity, drawing on the “Quick Big Win” package that is already more than 99% implemented. He said these measures would serve as the key engine to keep the economy moving until a new government is in place.
He outlined four main actions:
- Front-loaded spending and faster disbursement: The government will accelerate disbursement, focusing on training and seminar budgets for state agencies, with meetings and seminars to be held in upcountry provinces earlier in the year so cash circulates in the economy now, rather than being concentrated at year-end.
- Debt relief for small NPL borrowers: The Bank of Thailand has opened registration for the “Close debt fast, move forward” measure, targeting people with non-performing loans (NPLs) of under 100,000 baht, to help them return to economic activity after debt restructuring.
- SME Credit Boost: The government will expand credit guarantees with banks to support continued lending of low-interest “soft loans” to SMEs, with a programme size of about 100 billion baht to help improve liquidity.
- Fast-tracking BOI investment: The government is pushing BOI Fast Pass to accelerate approved investment projects worth several hundred billion baht, building on Fast Pass steps introduced earlier.
Ekniti said he expects several hundred billion baht to gradually flow into the system from accelerated investment, helping support growth during the interim period, alongside the earlier “Quick Big Win” measures.
Asked about projections from economic agencies that GDP growth this year could be below 2%, Ekniti said the government is working to ensure measures reach the economy as much as possible, adding that he remains confident growth can come close to, or reach, the 2% target.
He also cited the “Khon La Khrueng Plus” co-payment scheme, which ended on December 31, 2025, as a strong success. The programme injected more than 84 billion baht into the economy and, in a preliminary assessment, lifted 2025 GDP by at least 0.2% despite running for a short period.
He said the scheme’s strength was its high economic multiplier because spending was widely distributed to provinces. Only about 15–16% of spending took place in Bangkok, with the remainder in upcountry areas. Because the money went directly to households and small operators, he said leakage into debt repayment or out of the system was limited, supporting stronger circulation in the economy.
