The business sector cheered the government's decision to get rid of the Covid-19 test and quarantine period on arrival for overseas travellers, but has reaffirmed its call for an extension of the "Khon La Khrueng" co-payment subsidy scheme.
Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said on Friday the chamber thanks the government for listening to entrepreneurs in removing the mandatory RT-PCR tests from May 1 to revive the country's battered tourism industry.
"The private sector believes the decision will help trade, investment, services and tourism sentiment to recover faster," he said. "The private sector also pledges to give full support to ensure entrepreneurs still follow supervisory and preventive measures to curb infections as well as to campaign for booster vaccinations to support the government announcing Covid-19 as an endemic disease later this year."
The government decided on Friday to eliminate mandatory RT-PCR tests for arrivals, effective from May 1. Instead of undergoing the current "Test & Go" scheme that requires travellers to isolate in a hotel while awaiting the result of an RT-PCR test on arrival, visitors are expected to perform self-administered antigen tests during their stay.
According to Mr Sanan, the chamber sees the extension of the Khon La Khrueng co-payment subsidy scheme as essential to support small-scale businesses and maintain economic recovery momentum following the scrapping of the RT-PCR test requirement.
"Although people have started spending more, their overall spending remains relatively lower than normal," he said.
"The business sector sees it as imperative for the government to continue stimulating their spending, particularly through a fifth phase of the Khon La Khrueng co-payment subsidy scheme."
According to Mr Sanan, the government is estimated to spend about 45 billion baht if it hands out 1,500 baht per person to 30 million eligible recipients of a fifth phase of the co-payment subsidy scheme.
The scheme's extension would help generate combined spending valued at 90 billion baht to the economic system, boosting GDP growth by 0.63-0.65 percentage points to more than 3% this year, he said.
"If there are continued stimulus packages for a while, it would mean even better results because more money injected into the economy will help support small businesses to survive and retain employment," said Mr Sanan.
