Growth seen at 2.8 this yr, from earlier 3.2 forecast
2023 growth seen at 1.8 from previous 2.7
Tourism, exports, consumption to drive 2024 growth
IMF raises 2024 GDP forecast to 4.4 from 3.6 seen in Nov

BANGKOK, Jan 23 Reuters Thailand39;s economy is expected to grow 2.8 this year, a sharp downgrade from an earlier forecast of 3.2, the finance ministry said on Tuesday, bolstering the government39;s push for stimulus to revive an economy it says is in crisis.

Gross domestic product GDP expansion last year was also down significantly, seen by the ministry at just 1.8, compared to 2.7 seen earlier. The economy expanded 2.6 in 2022 and 1.5 in the JulySeptember quarter of 2023 from a year earlier.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is also finance minister, is eager to revive Southeast Asia39;s secondlargest economy with an injection of 500 billion baht 14.05 billion this year by transferring 10,000 baht 281 to 50 million Thais to spend within six months.

The government is also seeking to boost tourism, a key economic driver, in a move to offset weakness in exports, another crucial sector, which was projected to contract 1.5 last year.

The finance ministry sees foreign arrivals in 2024 at 33.5 million, down slightly from a previous expectation of 34.5 million, and forecast exports growing 4.2 this year, from an earlier forecast of 4.4.

The economy is expected to grow faster than last year due to higher exports, services and tourism arrivals, the ministry said in a…