Restaurants to mostly benefit from Thai government's Songkran measures

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) - Part of the Thai government’s economic stimulus measures, aimed to stimulate public spending during the upcoming Songkran or the traditional Thai New Year Festival in mid-April is likely to benefit food shops and restaurants nationwide most. Yuthachai Soontornrattanavate, President of the Association of Domestic Travel, made the assessment on March 30, reasoning that the Cabinet gave the approval on March 29 allowing people to each deduct their taxable income at the maximum of 15,000 baht from dining, staying at hotel and spending for tour guide fees during April 9- 17, aimed to spur public spending and boost the national economic growth. Yuthachai pointed out that the Thai Cabinet also resolved to extend deductible tax, at the maximum 15,000 baht each, until December 31, 2016, from December 30, 2015. Yuthachai suggested that if the Thai government wants to spur domestic tourism to stimulate the national economic growth, the administration should introduce the measure much earlier, as most people had already mapped out tour programmes during Songkran earlier, leaving only some 10 per cent of holidaymakers to make a decision at the last minutes. Besides, the number of Thais travelling within the country is expected to decline by some 10 per cent year-on-year during the upcoming Songkran Festival, while the number of those travelling overseas should increase by 30 per cent year-on-year because of the long holidays, with Japan being the most favourite destination, followed by those in fellow member countries in the ASEAN Community (AC). (TNA)