AI In-brief 24 Sept 16:48

Myanmar workers' remittances still bypass banks

A vast majority (93%) of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand bypass formal banks, primarily using informal channels like 'hundi' brokers for remittances.
The core issue preventing formal remittances is the difficulty for workers to obtain legal status, which is a prerequisite for accessing official banking services, despite competitive digital wallet fees.
This informal system deprives Myanmar of critical foreign currency and exposes Thailand to risks of money laundering and terrorist financing.
While a new labor agreement aims to register undocumented workers, significant bottlenecks in document processing and embassy capacity continue to hinder formalization efforts.
Proposed solutions include streamlining legal migration processes, ensuring market-rate exchange for official remittances, and piloting direct currency settlements in border regions.

AI In-brief 5 Nov 18:42

PM hopes US will keep its pledge of special tariff treatment for Thailand

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will remind President Trump at upcoming summits to honor the US pledge of special tariff treatment for Thailand, which was promised after Thailand fulfilled its commitment to a peace agreement with Cambodia.
Trade negotiations with the US are in the documentation scrutiny phase, indicating the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) terms are finalized in principle, though a formal agreement is still pending, and the tariff rate has returned to 19%.