WB:Thailand should increase human capital

BANGKOK, January 16 (TNA) - The US-based World Bank has suggested that Thailand invest more in the human capital to reduce the disparity and create opportunities more equally among people in the future. World Bank Country Manager for Thailand Birgit Hansl has included the suggestion in the latest World Bank's January 2019 report on Thailand, saying that the increased human capital will, actually, bring about a good future for all the Thai citizens. Besides, the Thai government should pay attention to the further development of the national education and public health, with a hope that Thai children, born on January 16, 2019, should complete 12.4 years of school courses on average before they are 18 years old each. Human capital means a stock of knowledge, habits, social and personality attributes, including creativity, embodied in the ability to produce the economic value of an economy. Meanwhile, World Bank Senior Country Economist for Thailand Kiatipong Ariyapruchya forecast in the report that the Thai economy should grow by 3.8 per cent year-on-year and by 3.9 per cent year-on-year on average in 2019 and 2020, its slower paces in line with the world economy. According to the World Bank senior economist, Thailand should, thus, carry on the national economic reform and infrastructure investment plans to stimulate the domestic consumption in order to offset a slowdown in Thai exports, caused by external risk factors. (TNA)