Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has asked the public not to panic about the coronavirus outbreak or economic problems by giving assurances that Thailand will be steered through difficult times.
Speaking at the Post Today Economic Forum 2020 on Thursday, Mr Somkid said that Thailand's economy has been hit by "storm after storm" for almost one year since the March 24 general election.
However, he expressed confidence that the country will eventually weather all the storms.
"The government does not want the public to panic. We want you to believe that Thailand will get through them [storms]," said the deputy prime minister.
The first storm faced by Thailand was the seven-month delay in the formation of the post-election government. During this period, the caretaker administration had difficulty in spending budgets since state investments were stalled as agencies waited for the new government, Mr Somkid said.
The second storm to affect Thailand was the US-China trade war which had a severe impact on Thai exports, particularly automobiles, electronics and chemicals, thereby causing the domestic economy to weaken.
The third economic storm was the strengthening of the baht which dealt an additional blow to exports. However, the baht has now begun to weaken, which should ease exporters' concerns, he said.
Yet another storm to hit Thailand, as well as the world, is the coronavirus outbreak, he said, adding that the public should not panic because Thailand has experienced several epidemics in the past and managed to get through them in the end.
