Bangkok: Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, a former leader of the Thai Sang Thai Party, recently took to her personal Facebook page to propose an alternative solution to the rising cost of living in Thailand. She criticized the government's current approach of borrowing money for handouts, likening it to "paracetamol" that offers only temporary relief and fails to address the underlying issue of high prices. Instead, she urged the government to consider reducing fuel taxes as a means to tackle the root cause of escalating food prices.

According to Thai News Agency, Sudarat expressed her concern over the impact of soaring oil prices on Thai citizens, noting that the increased fuel costs have led to higher consumer goods prices, thereby straining the finances of many. She highlighted that even if oil prices were to decline in the future, it is unlikely that the inflated prices of goods would follow suit.

Sudarat acknowledged the government's efforts in attempting to alleviate the public's hardship due to high fuel prices. However, she emphasized the need for solutions that target the core issue. She proposed that the government should manage fuel prices to prevent them from escalating and affecting production and transportation costs. Her suggestion involves temporarily suspending the excise tax and VAT on fuel, which could immediately reduce fuel prices by more than 7 baht per liter, thereby preventing further price hikes in other goods.

She warned that while suspending these taxes might result in a loss of 30 billion baht per month in tax revenue, it would be a more effective measure than the current strategy of borrowing 200 billion baht for handouts, which only provides a short-term solution. Sudarat questioned the long-term impact on citizens if the economy does not recover after the handouts, stressing that borrowing for temporary relief is not sustainable and does not address the core issue of increased goods prices.

In conclusion, Sudarat urged the government to rethink its current measures of borrowing for handouts and instead focus on sustainable approaches to mitigate the impact of high oil prices on the cost of living.