Thailand: Excise taxes for cigarettes, fuel to rise soon, says PM.

Section: General News - After raising excise taxes on alcoholic drinks last week, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that his government is considering raising excise taxes on cigarettes and gasoline as it expects that tax revenue collection will be more than Bt200 billion lower than the amount targeted.

Mr. Abhisit said during his weekly television address that his government had projected that tax collections during the current 2009 fiscal year which ends September 30 will exceed Bt200 billion less that the target set earlier so the government chose to increase the so-called sin tax, in line with Public Health Ministry policy, aimed raising community …