VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Thailand's prime minister is confident the country will receive more than 30 million foreign tourists this year as the economically vital tourism sector gathers steam, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has instructed relevant agencies to facilitate visitors with travel and ensure their safety, spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri told a briefing.

Initially, the government predicted more than 20 million foreign tourists this year and later increased that to 28 million, he said.

"Most recently, the prime minister is confident that tourist numbers will even exceed 30 million," Anucha said.

The latest projection follows China's border reopening and the return of Chinese tourists.

Thailand now expects at least 7 to 8 million Chinese visitors this year, up from a previous forecast of at least 5 million, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, a government body, told Reuters.

"Earlier, we didn't think China would also allow group tours...now we are seeing at least 7 to 8 million people," he said.

The new forecast would be more than half the 11 million Chinese visitors recorded in pre-pandemic 2019.

Up until Feb. 2 of this year, Thailand received 99,429 Chinese tourists, Yuthasak said.

Overall foreign tourist arrivals were around 2.1 million in January, he added.

In 2022, Thailand beat its tourism target with 11.15 million foreign visitors, a surge from just about 428,000 the previous year when broad pandemic-related travel curbs were in place. (Reuters)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to expand military drills and beef up the country's war readiness posture, state media reported on Tuesday, as Pyongyang prepares to mark a military anniversary.

Kim presided over the meeting of the central military commission of the ruling Workers' Party on Monday where officials discussed "major military and political tasks" for this year and the "long-term issues concerning the orientation for army building," KCNA news agency said.

"Studied and discussed there were ... the issue of constantly expanding and intensifying the operation and combat drills of the KPA to cope with the prevailing situation and more strictly perfecting the preparedness for war," KCNA said, referring to the Korean People's Army.

The meeting comes as North Korea is widely expected to stage a military parade to mark the founding anniversary of its armed forces on Wednesday.

Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practicing in formation in Pyongyang, and South Korea has also said it was monitoring increased related activities.

The military meeting also follows North Korea on Thursday condemning drills by the United States and its allies, saying they have reached an "extreme red-line" and threaten to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone."

In Thursday's statement, the North Korean foreign ministry condemned a visit to South Korea by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and said Pyongyang was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursues hostile policies.

Last Tuesday, Austin and his South Korean counterpart said they would expand military drills and deploy more "strategic assets," such as aircraft carriers and long-range bombers, to counter North Korea's weapons development and prevent a war.

When asked about the tensions with North Korea during a stop in the Philippines, Austin said that the U.S. goal was to promote greater security and stability and that it remained committed to defending South Korea. (Reuters)

Pakistan and the visiting International Monetary Fund mission are struggling to arrive at a consensus on fiscal adjustment plans, sources said on Monday, in talks aimed at unlocking critical funds needed for the ailing South Asian economy.

The mission has been in Islamabad since Jan. 31 to sort out the differences over fiscal policy that has stalled the release of more than $1 billion from $6.5 billion bailout package signed in 2019.

The IMF funding is crucial for the $350-billion economy facing a balance-of-payments crisis with foreign exchange reserves dipping to less than three weeks of import cover.

The two sides disagree on their data on the fiscal gap, two finance ministry officials with knowledge of the talks told Reuters.

The IMF says the primary deficit is 0.9% of GDP, or around 840 billion Pakistani rupees ($3.06 billion), but according to Islamabad it stands at 0.45%, or around 450 billion rupees ($1.64 billion), said the officials, who declined to be named as the talks were confidential.

"There is a clear difference in data," said one of them.

They said Islamabad is expecting a deal by Feb. 9.

Observers say the funds are needed to avoid defaulting on external payment obligations, while the lender's green signal is vital for any other external funding.

The finance ministry and the IMF country representative did not respond to Reuters request for comments.

STUMBLING BLOCK

Pakistan's 2022-23 budget in June estimated the primacy deficit to be 0.2% of GDP and fiscal deficit 4.9% of GDP.

The country has already shifted back to a market-based exchange rate and hiked fuel prices - measures demanded by IMF. But analysts say the steps will increase crippling inflation, which is already up 27.5% year-on-year in January.

The big pile of energy sector debt - over 4 trillion Pakistani rupees ($14.55 billion), including 1.6 trillion in the gas sector- is another stumbling block in the talks, officials said.

They said Pakistan has submitted a plan to cut the debt in phases though price hikes and dividends from gas companies, but the IMF is demanding a clearer path forward.

Over 900 billion rupees in gas sector subsidies for FY2022-23 are also on the chopping block, they said, adding that Pakistan has agreed to withdraw export sector subsidies.

If issues are resolved, Pakistan will introduce a finance bill in parliament to generate revenue, like a one-off flood levy on luxury imports, windfall levy on banks and duties on cigarettes and carbonated drinks, as well as to cut expenditures and development funds. (Reuters)

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday that the death toll from the earthquakes centred in southeastern Turkey rose to 3,419, bringing the total including those killed in Syria to more than 5,000.

Speaking to reporters, Oktay said severe weather conditions made it difficult to bring aid to the affected regions and conduct rescues. He said only rescue and aid vehicles were being allowed to enter or leave Hatay, Kahramanmaras and Adiyaman, three of the most impacted provinces.

Rescue operations are focusing on those three provinces and Malatya, Oktay added. (Reuters)