抗击新冠肺炎疫情 泰国构筑强大经济防线
Thailand’s Economic Front in Fighting COVID-19
泰国外交部表示在控制新冠肺炎的爆发和减轻其影响方面，泰国表现良好。自2020年4月27日以来，确诊病例仅略有上升，部分天数里保持零新增,约96%的感染者已完全康复，死亡率不到2%。
Thailand has performed well in containing the COVID-19 outbreak and mitigating its impact. Since 27 April 2020, the number of new COVID-19 cases has increased only slightly, while some days saw no new cases at all. About 96 per cent of those infected have fully recovered, and fatality rate is less than 2 per cent, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand states.
政府在采取公共卫生措施的同时，也正通过向民众提供贷款和财政援助等方式来应对疫情带来的经济风险。一些评论家肯定地指出：如果将经济形势比喻为每况愈下、急需供氧的病人，那么政府注入的现金流就相当于给沉闷的房间里输入新鲜的空气。
In tandem with public health measures, the government is addressing economic risks by injecting loans and financial assistance to the people. Some observers rightly noted that if the economy is an ailing patient in dire need of oxygen, the cash flow pumped in by the government is comparable to the breath of fresh air in a stale room.
迄今为止，泰国已批准通过了三个阶段的经济救济措施，以满足企业家、蓝领阶层和家庭生活的需要，从而使得社会的每一个弱势群体都能获益，无论是以收入、援助还是贷款的形式。经济措施的首要原则是保持流动性，并且让现金留在人民手中。这些措施大致可分为三个目标，即减轻家庭和企业开支负担、增加收入以及激发经济活力运转。
To date, Thailand has approved economic relief measures in three phases that cater to entrepreneurs, blue collars and households so that sources of revenue, whether in the form of income, aid or loan is accessible by every vulnerable sector of society. The overarching principle is to maintain liquidity and allow cash to remain in the hands of the people. These measures could be roughly categorised into three objectives, namely, to ease public expense burden, to add revenue and to keep the economic engine lubricated and running.
在减轻开支负担方面，全部或部分减免所有家庭三个月的水电费。延长个人和企业所得税的申报和缴纳期限。预扣税率从3%降低到1.5%并将实行6个月。免收一年用于居住和农业用途的国家财产租赁费。此外，金融机构将为汽车、摩托车和住房的贷款还款给予延期。
On easing expense burden, water and electricity bills in all households were waived or discounted for three months. Personal and corporate income tax filing and payment deadlines have been extended. Withholding tax rate is reduced from 3 to 1.5 percent for six months. State properties rental fee that are used for residential and agricultural purposes will be exempted for one year. Furthermore, financial institutions are to postpone clients’ payment of loans for cars, motorcycles and housing.
由于所有的经济增长引擎都几乎瘫痪，收入增长面临巨大挑战。好在政府是市场上最后一个长期存在的“慷慨大方的消费者”，它利用一切可能的渠道和途径来保证救助的广泛覆盖。例如，没有任何保障的下岗工人在三个月内可以领取5000泰铢的补偿，而在社会保障基金登记的工人将在200天内领取到高达其工资70%的收入。400亿泰铢贷款方案将为符合条件的人士和企业提供一万泰铢的紧急贷款，每月利率仅为0.1%。同时，中小企业可以向政府储蓄银行和中小企业银行申请低息贷款。政府还批准了1500亿泰铢的预算，向一千万注册登记的农民每人发放15000泰铢。
Adding revenue is more challenging since all the engines of economic growth are nearly paralysed. Since the government is the last standing ‘big spender’ in the market, it is employing every possible channel and mechanism to ensure that the relief is inclusive. For instance, laid-off informal workers have been receiving 5,000 baht to compensate wages for three months while those registered with the Social Security Fund will receive 70 per cent of their wages up to 200 days. A 40-billion baht loan programme will enable those eligible to obtain a 10,000 baht emergency loan with a monthly interest rate of 0.1 per cent. At the same time, SMEs can apply for a low interest loan from the Government Savings Bank and SMEs Bank. The government has also approved a 150 billion baht budget for the distribution of 15,000 baht to ten million registered farmers.
此外，确保经济稳定运行的措施还包括泰国央行主动向金融机构提供5000亿泰铢的软贷款，用于提供给中小企业。另外，泰国政府还拨款了1万亿泰铢，用于振兴从农业到旅游业的各个部门。同时，泰国还在人力资源上进行投资，例如为导游提供必要的语言培训，和为企业家提供企业管理等技能培训。
Measures to sustain the economic sectors include the initiative for the Bank of Thailand to provide 500 billion baht of soft loans to financial institutions so that they can offer loans to certain SMEs. Another one trillion baht has been allocated to resuscitate sectors from agriculture to tourism. Moreover, Thailand is investing in human resources by providing training in necessary skills such as language training for tour guides and business management for entrepreneurs.
最重要的是，自2020年5月3日以来，基于当前泰国国内新冠肺炎疫情得到控制的现状，泰国政府已分阶段逐步放宽部分防控措施，促进市场复苏。首批复工的机构包括餐馆、食品摊位、街头摊贩、农贸市场、理发店、医疗卫生机构和高尔夫球场。之后，政府也逐步允许购物中心和大型企业重新开业。当然，这并不意味着泰国疫情防控斗争已经结束。
Most importantly, the government has gradually relaxed certain restrictions in phases since 3 May 2020, to let businesses revive. The decision was made based on the satisfying outcome in controlling COVID-19. The first group of establishments to be back in service included restaurants, food stalls, street vendors, markets, hair salons, healthcare facilities and golf courses. Consequently, the government permitted shopping malls and larger businesses to re-open. This, however, does not mean that our fight against the pandemic is over.
未来的发展方向Future Direction
尽管泰国战胜新冠肺炎疫情是大势所趋，但经济复苏的道路仍旧困难重重。专家预测，泰国和全球各地的年增长率将不太乐观。尽管如此，所有部门都在利用这一“暂停”机会，为后疫情时代做必要的准备。
While the prospect for Thailand in overcoming COVID-19 may appear promising, all the roads to economic recovery hint rocky hurdles. Gurus have already forecast a bleak annual growth for Thailand and around the world. Nonetheless, all sectors are taking advantage from this “time out” to make necessary preparations for the post-COVID-19 landscape.
从另一方面来说，新冠疫情也意外地推动了泰国加速发展创新性和可持续性经济这一已推行多年的计划。在游客空缺的情况下，泰国正在通过开发新型技术和扩大电子商务应用的措施来提高旅游服务质量。泰国的自然公园和国家公园进入了“水疗期”，并已恢复到原始状态，曼谷廊曼国际机场也正在进行翻修。考虑到防疫安全距离的限制，泰国旅游局正着眼于较小的旅游群体，注重游客质量而不是数量，加强健康旅游。
COVID-19 has become an accidental accelerator for Thailand in redesigning its future towards a more innovative and sustainable economy, a plan that Thailand has been pursuing for some years. In the absence of tourists, Thailand is improving the quality of tourism services by developing technology-based solutions and expanding e-commerce applications. Thailand’s nature and national parks entered a “spa phase,” and have been restored to a pristine condition. Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok is undergoing renovation. With social distancing in mind, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is targeting smaller tourist groups, focusing on quality over quantity, and enhancing health tourism.
泰国的经济活动需像其他国家一样更多地在线上活跃起来。在“新常态”的背景下“照常营业”正在被重新定义，经销商们纷纷搭上电子商务列车，希望自己的产品能够得到迅速推广，在疫情中求得生机。会议、商业活动甚至贸易展览都在虚拟世界中进行。甚至是农民和企业家也在接受培训，提高他们的线上素养和技能，进入不断扩大的电子商务市场。
Economic activities in Thailand need to go more online, just like other countries. ‘Business as usual’ is being redefined in the spectrum of “New Normal.” Dealers are hopping on the e-commerce train, wishing that their products will go viral to survive this virus outbreak. Meetings, business activities and even trade exhibitions are being carried out in the virtual world. Even farmers and entrepreneurs are being trained to improve their online literacy and skills to access the expanding e-commerce market.
此外，泰国也将更加注重研究和技术发展，特别是在创新型医疗方面。目前，泰国已拥有辅助机器人和远程医疗技术来帮助医生和护士远距离照顾病人。
Furthermore, Thailand is putting more efforts in research and technology, particularly in innovative medical treatment and solutions. Thailand now have assistant robots and telemedicine to help doctors and nurses take care of patients from a distance.
就像1997年亚洲经济危机重创泰国时一样，这所有的努力都将助力泰国经济的发展。当时，普密蓬·阿杜德国王陛下提出了“适足经济学”，鼓励在合理和适度的基础上采取更加平衡的发展方法。现在是时候重新探讨这一理念，以防来自未来的外部冲击。
All these efforts will bolster Thailand’s economy just as when the Asian economic crisis hit the country back in 1997. Back then, the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy was introduced by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great to encourage a more balanced approach to development based on reasonableness and moderateness. It is time to re-explore this philosophy as an immunity against any future external shocks.
在泰国完全恢复常态之前，经济复苏将是一条漫长的道路。但只要泰国坚持实现自己的理想，世界各国齐心协力，我们一定能够更团结、更有活力地实现经济复苏与振兴。
It will be a long road to recovery before Thailand resume normalcy and our economy regains momentum. But as long as Thailand remain committed to its aspirations, the world will rebound and emerge with a stronger sense of resilience and solidarity.
资料来源：泰国外交部Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
