Gov’t spreads wide range of gifts that touch many lives

Ministries and agencies have announced a slew of measures in recent days on behalf of the government, with initiatives ranging from providing free services, to various ways to stimulate the Thai economy such as a maximum tax deduction of 50,000 baht, reductions in living expenses, and lowering electricity and fuel prices

These government measures range widely across aspects of people’s lives, from finance and transportation to energy, tourism, education and culture.

The New Year’s gifts – so far – are:

Ministry of Finance

-Tax deductions pf up to 50,000 baht for individuals, including easy E-receipt measures, expenses for purchasing goods, or services via electronic tax invoices, effective from January 1 to February 15, 2024.

Ministry of Transport

-Exemption from toll fees on special highways No. 7 and No. 9 from midnight of December 28 of this year until midnight on January 3, 2024.

Ministry of Energy

-Fixing the electricity price at 3.99 baht/unit from January to April 2024 to reduce expenses for the public in households using less than 300 units per month; in the group using over 300 units per month, the previous rate of 4.68 baht/unit is set to be reduced to no more than 4.20 baht/unit.

-Fixing diesel prices at no more than 30 baht/litre and fixing LPG prices at 423 baht/15-kilogram cylinder for three months from January to March 2024.

-PTT (Petroleum Authority of Thailand) will not increase the retail prices of all types of oil for 10 days from December 24, 2023, to January 3, 2024. If global market prices decrease, adjustments will be made accordingly.

-Free car inspections and tire inflation at FIT Auto service stations for 35 vehicles before New Year’s trips.

-Offering discounts on products that aid in preventing and reducing PM2.5 smog until January 31, 2024.

-Additionally, a campaign has been launched for the new lottery number 5, offering discounts on electrical appliances ranging from 200 to 1,000 baht. There are 15,000 chances to win, available from January 1 to 31, 2024, with every receipt eligible for prizes totalling over 1.5 million baht.

The Prime Minister’s Office

-Distributing coupons instead of cash, crediting cashback in online shopping apps and various company applications, including providing discount codes for different airlines when booked from late December 2023.

-The ‘Tharng Rart’ (access to state agencies) application enhances online access to state agency services for the public, including land tax information, online educational qualification comparison requests, military registration history, and more.

Ministry of Commerce

-Adding 30 franchise business opportunities, offering up to a 30% maximum discount on packages.

-Providing free 3-month courses to enhance skills for SMEs.

-Extending opportunities for SMEs such as restaurants, cafes, spas, hotels, and resorts to access more than 10 million songs for free for 3 months, along with a 50-55% discount for 1 year upon subscription renewal.

-Organising the New Year Megasale 2024 nationwide, featuring over 40,000 products and more than 1,180 services with discounts of up to 82% for a month starting from December 15 of this year to January 15, 2024.

-Reducing registration fees for limited companies and partnerships in the economic development zones, specifically from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026 in provinces including Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, and Satun.

-Conducting sales promotion activities in collaboration with leading e-commerce platforms and food delivery platforms with 386 participating entities, offering a maximum 80% discount code for over 13 million online purchases.

Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation

-Those applying to register for university admission will be allowed to select their top 10 faculties without incurring costs, thereby reducing their expenses by a maximum of 900 baht per person.

Ministry of Culture

-Promotional events at 10 major Buddhist temples and national museums from December 24, 2023 to January 2, 2024.

-Chanting and prayers from December 31, 2023 to January 1, 2024 nationwide.

-Free access to historical parks and national museums from December 20 of this year to January 5, 2024.

-Opening theatre facilities for continuous movie screenings throughout this month.