Private Sector Demands Five-Point Plan
The private sector submitted five urgent recommendations aimed at resolution and mitigation:
Financial Lifelines: Requesting support through soft loans, increased short-term credit, reductions in local taxes, and social security contribution cuts. Crucially, they are calling for the government to allocate budget to help cover spiking freight costs and to postpone the scheduled minimum wage increase (to 400 baht per day) in the seven border provinces to help sustain employment.
Marketing & Image Restoration: Urging the government to use diplomatic mechanisms and positive communication campaigns to counteract negative social sentiment in Cambodia and restore the popularity of Thai products.
Logistics Facilitation: Proposing that specific land checkpoints be temporarily opened for the special-case import of essential goods, supported by streamlined inspection and customs procedures.
Tourism Confidence: Requesting that the Ministry of Tourism and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) actively publicise safety information to foreign tourists, reassuring them about areas unaffected by the conflict.
Conflict Resolution: Calling for the Ministry of Commerce to immediately utilise the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) or other mechanisms to rebuild economic confidence and seek a rapid normalisation of diplomatic and people-to-people relations with Cambodia.
Relevant agencies have been instructed to integrate these private sector recommendations into the revised aid package and report progress back to the Economic Cabinet before the measures are submitted for final government approval.