"The reduction in populism is a positive sign." The third trend concerns elevating debt restructuring to a national agenda item, with all parties focusing on resolving non-performing loans and household debt. Policymakers recognise that without addressing household debt, consumption cannot expand as people remain trapped in debt. He said household debt remains high at around 86% of GDP. Meanwhile, persistently high household debt continues to constrain consumer spending.

Source: Bangkok Post January 15, 2026 23:47 UTC