Ex-Thai PM Srettha Wants Debt-Cap Hike to 80% to Lift Growth

Former Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin called for a rise in the nation’s public debt ceiling to both cushion against the effects of the Middle East conflict and revive long-term growth.

Lifting the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product to 80% from a self-imposed 70% limit will open up roughly 2 trillion baht ($61 billion) of fiscal space, Srettha said in an interview Wednesday. If funds go to infrastructure like airports, highways or flood-mitigation works, and not to populist handouts, such a move would be acceptable to the public and rating companies, he said.