Thai PM demands measures to cope with high costs of living

BANGKOK, May 1 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered authorities concerned to work out measures to cushion impacts from rising costs of living on people, promising that daily minimum wages will increase to 300 baht in all provinces nationwide by January 1, 2013. Acting Thai Government Spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ad told a press conference that, during a Cabinet weekly meeting today, Premier Yingluck ordered Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong and Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom to jointly work out the measures, suggesting them to thoroughly examine upstream, midstream and downstream price structures of goods on the domestic market when tailoring the measures and to report their findings to the Cabinet next week. Anusorn said that Yingluck also instructed the authorities concerned to study economic structures of Thailand's five southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Satun, together with the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), in order to work out measures to convince local people to remain in the region, instead of selling their property to escape from violence in the far South, and that the prime minister wants the Islamic Bank of Thailand to provide financial support to the local people so that they have funds for their business projects. Deputy Transport Minister Police Lieutenant General Chatt Kuldiloke told reporters that the Thai Cabinet also decided to extend the deadline of free public bus in Bangkok and train services nationwide for five more months until September 30, 2012, after they expired on April 30, to relieve people’s burden on the rising costs of living, although the free public transit services will cost the Thai government some 1.67 billion baht during the extended period, and that the Thai Cabinet also ordered his ministry to speed up the country's extended electric rail projects which were announced during past vote campaigns. Meanwhile, Premier Yingluck confirmed, when presiding over a ceremony to mark the National Labour Day at Sanam Luang ceremonial ground earlier Tuesday that Thailand's daily minimum wages will increase to 300 baht in all provinces nationwide by January 1, 2013. The Thai government’s 300-baht daily minimum wage policy took effect in first seven pilot provinces, including Bangkok, on April 1, 2012. The prime minister urged the local workers to then save some of their increased wages and promised that her government will continue to improve their skills and productivity, acknowledging she has learned during her recent overseas trips that foreign investors have recognized Thai workers' skills, hard working and friendliness. The prime minister insisted that the Thai government will keep improving local workers' quality of life by, for instance, setting up childcare centers for them, as well as institutes for safety, occupational health and good environment at their workplaces. (TNA)