Bangkok, Chairman of the Advisory Center for Economic and Business Forecasting. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce states that even the digital wallet project With or without it, the Thai economy is sure to grow 3.2 percent this year, but if it does, it can push the economy to grow 4.2-4.5 percent. It is recommended that the government use the method of dividing the budget of 500 billion baht into 2 installments in fiscal year 2024, amounting to 1600 billion baht to help. The Bang group of 16 million people before putting the remaining 350 billion baht in the 2025 budget to distribute the remaining money and starting counting again on 1 Oct. 2024 in the 2025 budget instead, pointing out that the impact on the Thai economy is caused by external factors. all Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanawat Phonwichai, President of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Advisor to the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting, said: Even though there is now an attitude that the digital wallet project may n ot be delayed until May 2024. According to the Deputy Minister of Finance who issued the news In principle, even if there is no digital wallet project, the Thai economy in 2024 will already grow more than 3.2 percent. But many parties agree that this growth rate is considered lower than neighboring countries and there should be a stimulus project to. For the Thai economy to have a higher growth rate, therefore, the digital wallet project is an important way for the government to ensure that the Thai economy this year and next year has a growth rate of more than 4-4.5 percent. However, if the government lowers the limit of digital wallets by using only 400,000 million baht, this year's economy will grow 4.2 percent. If only 160,000 million baht is used, this year's economy will grow 3.5 percent, but if it is used An investment of 500,000 million baht will cause the economy to grow this year at more than 4.5 percent, so it is necessary to consider the suitability of which path the government will choose. Becau se at this time, as a whole, the Thai economy is not growing due to problems with external risk factors. and sees that there are still no clear measures to stimulate the economy from the government. As a result, the rate of economic growth cannot be seen as concrete in 2024. In addition, it is seen that if the government continues to move forward with the digital wallet project even though it is subject to specific conditions, it must be a loan of 500,000 million baht, which must be changed to put into the central budget in the annual expenditure budget for 2024 and 68 instead by allocating the proportion of money used for this project in the mid-year '67 budget of 160,000 million baht to help the 16 million Po Bang groups first, and the remaining more than 350,000 million baht to put in the mid-year '68 budget that will begin using the budget. It can be said that from October 1, 2024 onwards, the full amount of the digital wallet project money of 500,000 million baht will be used as a substitute for having to borrow money to create this project. What the government must do to make the growth rate of the Thai economy grow beyond 4 percent in 2025 is to urgently find concrete measures to stimulate the economy related to new investment. Because of the presentation of the Land Bridge construction project Development of Thai soft power or investing in the EEC area We haven't seen clear results yet and it is a long-term project. Even though it is foreign investment into Thailand. But it is a long-term project, so the government must find new projects that will have results in a short period of time so that the Thai economy can have a growth rate of more than 4 percent from 2025 onwards. Source: Thai News Agency