Warawut Silpa-archa outlined a plan to assist entrepreneurs by injecting 20 billion baht to sustain businesses during the energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict. He carried his personal water bottle to drink publicly for the media after campaigning to reduce plastic pellet use.
On 11 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Warawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry, announced that the Ministry will implement measures to help entrepreneurs through loans from SME D Bank. The aim is to promote SME entrepreneurs' access to funding, improve liquidity, assist vulnerable debtors, and enhance entrepreneur capabilities through three loan products.
The first loan focuses on capital access with a total of 20 billion baht injected into the economy to support small and medium SME entrepreneurs in accessing funds, reducing financial costs, and maintaining sufficient liquidity during the crisis. It also aims to elevate productivity by adopting clean and renewable energy friendly to the environment, advancing green industry for sustainable long-term growth. Funds may be used for investment, machinery and technology upgrades, expansion, or business liquidity. The loans offer a low fixed interest rate of 3% per year for the first three years, with repayment terms up to 10 years. These include the “SME Green Productivity” loan with a maximum of 30 million baht per borrower to support investment in machinery using clean energy such as solar panels and electric vehicles; the “SME Empowerment” loan with a maximum of 1 million baht per borrower to help small SMEs access funds without collateral; and the “Beyond Wings SME” loan with a maximum of 30 million baht per borrower focusing on enhancing business efficiency.
Additionally, there are other special loan programs from the bank offering up to 50 million baht per borrower with interest rates and conditions more relaxed than general financial institutions. The bank has streamlined lending procedures and eased conditions for small SME entrepreneurs to enable faster credit access aligned with the current economic situation.
Warawut stated he has instructed SME D Bank to make loan approval steps and conditions more flexible in the current situation to ensure entrepreneurs can access funding and strengthen company liquidity.
Moreover, there is a support approach for vulnerable entrepreneurs with a “three reductions” plan: reducing principal, interest, and installment payments. If any debtor begins facing difficulties, the Ministry of Industry will provide immediate assistance to help sustain their operations and preserve employment, enabling business recovery under these challenging conditions.
The final measure is to boost entrepreneur capability through upskilling and reskilling to reduce production costs and increase income, preparing them to enter the new economy. This will serve as an advantage to all entrepreneurs aligned with the government's green economy policy. Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to participate.
Furthermore, Warawut publicly drank water from a personal cup bearing the Bhumjaithai Party logo brought by himself, allowing reporters to capture the moment. This followed his call for the public to carry personal water bottles to reduce bottle use, encourage plastic recycling, and alleviate the shortage of imported plastic pellets.
