Thailand’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Cabinet were sworn into office on Tuesday, nearly four months after a general election, with the new government set to unveil measures to tackle the high cost of living and near-record household debt.
The prime minister and 33 ministers took the oath of allegiance before King Maha Vajiralongkorn at a traditional ceremony at the royal palace in Bangkok. Srettha will now present a policy-priority statement at a joint session of parliament on Sept. 11, to be followed by the first working Cabinet meeting, a day later, that may decide on slashing diesel and electricity prices to provide relief to consumers.
The swearing-in draws the curtain on a post-election political stalemate that stemmed from a fractured result, causing a partial policy paralysis and exodus of foreign funds. Srettha’s coalition government faces the task of jump-starting Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy amid rising interest rates and a slowdown in exports.