BANGKOK: Thailand is turning to its billionaire-led conglomerates to help contain rising living costs, underscoring both the urgency of inflation pressures and the outsized role of big business in the country’s economy. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, whose party won February’s election partly on promises to ease the cost of living, formally launched the programme on Wednesday (April 1). His government has spent recent weeks trying to shield households from rising prices while preserving already strained public finances. "This is an important step in cooperation between the public and private sectors,” Anutin said in Bangkok. While the government maintains price controls on dozens of essential goods, rising energy and production costs have already pushed up prices of staples such as pork and eggs.

Source: The Star April 01, 2026 21:25 UTC