"The loss of export income clear?ly shows that the government has not yet come up with an efficient plan to solve the rapidly strength?ening baht," she said.
"The Bank of Thailand and the Finance Ministry should acceler?ate implementing measures to help small and medium-sized enter?prises, as they have been dramati?cally hit from the appreciation."
The ministry based its damage estimate on average exports of Bt450 billion, or US$14 billion to $15 billion, a month.
Porntiva is scheduled to lead representatives from trade associ?ations to meet with Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij on Tuesday to discuss measures to cushion the impact of the soaring baht.
A top priority is for the govern?ment to set up an SME Export Fund with an initial budget of Bt5 billion to extend soft loans to SMEs in par?ticular, she said.
Poj Aramwattananont, hon?ourable president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association, urged the government to solve the baht crisis immediately.
"Exporters will soon no longer be able to absorb losses from the baht's appreciation.
"The government must ensure that the baht will not surge beyond Bt30 to the US dollar, although it would lose a large sum of money like Bt10 billion to Bt20 billion to tack?le the problem," he said.
Thai products are 25 per cent more expensive than those from Vietnam, a major exporter of farm products, he said.
The Vietnamese dong has depreciated by 14 per cent since early this year.
Food manufacturers and farm?ers are the largest group suffering from the stronger baht. The agri?culture industry generates Bt1 tril?lion to Bt1.2 trillion in income a year, he said. The government must do whatever it can to reduce traders' concerns, as exporters are rushing to buy hedging products, which is one of the factors behind the baht's rise, Poj said.
Inevitably, more investment will flood into the region. The government must take further action to assist manufacturers and enter prises depending heavily on local contents.
An example would be tax privileges for rice, shrimp, and fruit and vegetable exporters.
Fruit and vegetable exports have 100 per cent local content, rice has 90 per cent, and shrimp has 80-85 per cent, he noted.
Paiboon Ponsuwanna, president of the Thai National Shippers Council, said exporters could not stand the rapidly rising baht any longer.
Many exporters were bleeding red ink from the problem.
Exports this quarter will drop largely because of the currency's appreciation.
