Vietnam Suspends some Fuel Taxes to Stabilise Domestic Market
Vietnam's Finance Ministry announced a temporary suspension of environmental protection and special consumption taxes on gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, effective until April 15, to stabilise the domestic market. The tax holiday will cut state revenue by roughly 7.2 trillion dong (about $270 million) each month. Fuel prices have surged sharply since the United States‑Israel war on Iran began, with gasoline up 21% and diesel up 84%. The measure aims to ease pressure on businesses and households amid supply disruptions.
Petroleum and Energy Institute of Thailand Denies Oil Refineries Profiting From War
The Petroleum and Energy Institute of Thailand (PTIT) refuted claims that local refineries are profiting from the Middle‑East war, noting that the gross refinery margin (GRM) of 6.31 baht per litre in March reflects higher input costs, not net profit....
Call for Measures to Restrain Fuel Price Hikes
The Thai Chamber of Commerce is urging the government to curb a recent 6 baht (~$0.16) per‑litre fuel price increase, warning it will raise production, logistics and consumer costs. It calls for securing sufficient crude‑oil supplies, even at premiums above global...
Thailand Vows to Host 1st Disneyland in Region
Thailand’s government is pushing to host the region’s first Disneyland within the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Capital City, designating about 2,700 rai—comparable to Shanghai’s park—for the project. Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has written to Walt Disney’s new CEO and highlighted...
Credit Outlook Steady as Fuel Subsidy Ditched
Thailand has ended its blanket fuel subsidy, raising pump prices by 6 baht (about $0.16) per litre. Analysts say the move removes a key trigger for a sovereign credit downgrade, but it also heightens stagflation risks as inflation could reach 3.2%...
Fuel Shock Pushes Thai Fishery Close to Shutdown
A sharp rise in diesel to about 39 baht ($1.11) per litre—driven by the US‑Israeli war on Iran—has left more than half of Samut Sakhon’s trawlers idle and threatens to shut down Thailand’s multibillion‑dollar fishing sector within days. Thailand exports roughly...
Stricter Rules for Digital Platforms
Thailand has enacted comprehensive trade‑competition guidelines for multi‑sided digital platforms, effective March 24, 2026. The rules target e‑marketplaces such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop, tightening oversight of commission, advertising, logistics and payment fees. They also prohibit self‑preferencing, price‑parity clauses, and discriminatory...
Co-Pay Scheme, Emergency Projects to Get B300bn
Thailand’s caretaker finance ministry plans to redirect roughly 300 billion baht (about $8.4 billion) into the central budget to fund the “Khon La Khrueng” co‑payment scheme and urgent emergency projects. For fiscal 2026, 861 billion baht ($24 billion) is slated for investment, but 41% ($9.9 billion) remains...
Thailand’s Largest Mall Operator Plans $3.4 Billion Expansion
Central Pattana, Thailand’s largest mall developer, announced a plan to invest more than 110 billion baht (about $3.4 billion) over the next five years. The capital will fund new mixed‑use projects, retail plazas, offices and integrated developments, raising its portfolio to 33...
Grab Eyes Growth Amid Fuel Crunch
Grab Thailand is preparing for a “mini‑crisis” as fuel prices climb, planning a possible passenger surcharge while continuing aggressive promotions to keep demand high. The company will also roll out “Grab Quick Cash,” a digital‑lending product offering loans up to...
SME Loan Demand Deteriorates in Q1
Thai SME confidence plunged in Q1, with the SME Development Bank’s index dropping 19 points to 50.2, the lowest since 2022. Micro and small firms saw the steepest falls, slipping to 44.4 and 49.7 respectively, while medium‑size firms held at...
Crackdown Targets Use of Thai Proxies
Thailand will tighten controls on nominee shareholders starting April 1, requiring managing partners or authorized directors to certify that all shareholders have genuinely invested their own funds. The new Order 1/2026 expands registration rules, forwarding high‑risk individuals to the Central Investigation Bureau...
Haad Thip Turns to Returnable Glass
Haad Thip Plc, the exclusive Coca‑Cola bottler for 14 southern Thai provinces, is targeting a rise in returnable glass bottle (RGB) revenue to 6‑7% of total sales this year, up from roughly 3% in FY2025. The move aims to offset...
AXA Highlights Local Insurance Protection Gap
AXA warns that Thailand’s insurance protection gap, especially in general insurance, hampers economic resilience. While life and health coverage is strong among affluent Thais, low‑income households and many SMEs remain under‑insured against floods, earthquakes and other catastrophes. AXA’s Southeast Asia...
Expanding the Circle of Opportunity: How AI Skills Unlock Local Impact
Microsoft’s Elevate initiative is teaching AI skills to thousands of Thai nonprofit leaders, turning community creativity into marketable products. In Buriram’s Non Din Daeng district, a primary‑school student’s AI‑enhanced leaf design now appears on bags and notebooks sold online, generating income for...
Oil Price Spike Threatens to Cut Thai GDP Growth, Raise Inflation
Tisco Financial warns that a 10% rise in crude oil from a $72‑per‑barrel baseline could trim Thailand's GDP growth by 0.3‑0.4 percentage points and lift inflation by roughly 0.8%. The surge also strains the Oil Fuel Fund, which subsidises diesel...
Oil Shock Hits Supermarket Transportation in the South
Mother Marketing, the MAI‑listed operator of Mother Supermarkets in southern Thailand, is grappling with a severe petrol shortage that has forced its delivery fleet to make multiple refuelling stops and cope with caps of roughly $14‑$28 per vehicle. Diesel price...
Baht Set to Fall Further Amid Mideast Wartime Pressures
Thailand’s baht is projected to weaken further, potentially reaching 33.5 per U.S. dollar this week as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensify. The dollar’s safe‑haven appeal and rising U.S. bond yields are bolstering its strength, while regional currencies slide...
Suki Teenoi on Course for 60 New Outlets This Year
Suki Teenoi, owned by BNN Restaurant Group, will open 60 new outlets in 2026, bringing its total to 133 stores. The chain is postponing any IPO because of ongoing volatility in Thailand’s stock market. It is launching a premium Teenoi...
Authorities in Talks on US Tariffs and Finalising FTAs
Thai authorities are negotiating with the United States to address the 10 % global tariff and a Section 301 investigation that could trigger new duties, while preparing a written response by mid‑April. The U.S. tariff expires in July, intensifying the urgency of...
AI Race Spurs Digital Self-Reliance Push
Thailand is accelerating a sovereign‑AI agenda to reduce reliance on foreign platforms and safeguard national security. Policymakers are promoting a "minimum sufficient sovereignty" model that localises critical workloads while still using global cloud services for other tasks. The government and...
Booksellers Predict Upbeat Market
The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand projects a 5‑8% growth for the domestic book market this year, modestly lower than the pre‑conflict 5‑10% range. Despite rising energy and logistics costs from the Middle East war, fixed production expenses and...
Thailand Post Trumpets EV Fleet as Fuel Costs Mount
Thailand Post, the state‑run logistics provider, is accelerating its shift to electric vehicles for last‑mile delivery as fuel prices surge amid the Middle East oil crisis. Oil now accounts for roughly 30% of the carrier’s operating costs, prompting a plan...
Ministry Eyes Oil Excise Tax Trims
Thailand's Finance Ministry is evaluating oil excise tax reductions to curb retail fuel prices while protecting fiscal health. A 1 baht cut in diesel excise would forfeit roughly 2 billion baht, and a similar cut for gasoline would cost about 800 million baht....
Coal Units Restarted to Curb Electricity Costs
Thailand's Energy Regulatory Commission ordered the state‑run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) to restart two decommissioned units at the Mae Moh lignite plant, adding roughly 600 MW to its output. The decision targets soaring liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, which...
Volatility Easing as Traders Adjust to War
Thai market volatility has softened as traders price in the early stages of the Middle East conflict. The SET index traded within a 1,400‑1,450 point band, while petrochemical and upstream energy stocks posted the strongest gains. Power, beverage and healthcare...
Ethanol Output Cranked up to Meet E20 Demand
Ethanol producers in Thailand are ramping up output to satisfy rising demand for gasohol E20, a 20 % ethanol‑blended fuel promoted to curb oil import reliance. The government aims to keep E20 priced at least five baht per litre below gasoline...
BMW Faces Flat Sales Amid Rising Oil Prices
BMW Group Thailand warns that rising oil‑price volatility from escalating U.S.–Iran tensions could flatten luxury‑car sales in 2026, overturning earlier growth expectations. The Thai luxury segment fell more than 10% last year to about 26,000 units, and BMW’s total sales...
Penalties Vowed for Gas Gouging
Caretaker energy minister Auttapol Rerkpiboon announced punitive measures against petrol‑station operators who charge above the government‑regulated, subsidised rates. The state Oil Fuel Fund guarantees subsidies for every litre leaving refineries, while diesel’s price cap has risen from 30 baht to 30.5 baht...
China Cutting Back Fertiliser Exports
China has imposed strict limits on fertilizer exports, banning nitrogen‑potassium blends and many phosphate varieties while allowing only a few products such as ammonium sulphate. The curbs affect up to 40 million tonnes, roughly half to three‑quarters of last year’s shipments,...
Thailand Offers Iran Food for Plastic Pellets, Fertiliser
Thailand’s commerce ministry is negotiating a barter arrangement with Iran and other Middle‑East nations, offering processed food and raw materials in exchange for safe passage of Thai vessels carrying plastic pellets and fertiliser. Minister Suphajee Suthumpun warned that Thailand’s domestic...
Global Funds Look to Malaysia as Iran War Shakes up Asian Assets
Global funds are turning to Malaysia as the Iran‑Russia conflict rattles Asian markets. The country’s political stability, current‑account surplus and status as one of the few net oil exporters in the region have limited equity outflows, keeping the KLCI near‑flat...
GH Bank Allays Concerns over Financial Stability Amid War
GH Bank says it can weather economic fallout from the Middle East war, citing robust loan‑loss provisions of 160% – the fourth‑strongest among Thai banks. All its housing loans are fully collateralised, eliminating unsecured risk. Despite a sector‑wide contraction, the...
Trade Officials Advised to Find New Export Markets
Caretaker commerce minister Suphajee Suthumpun has instructed Thai commercial attachés to actively seek new export markets, emphasizing diversification in Asia and Europe. The ministry’s new strategy, guided by the TAM model – Think Big, Act Small, Move Right – targets...
E-Commerce Sovereignty Picks up with Pantip Mall
Pantip Mall, Thailand’s first "local alternative" e‑marketplace, will begin beta testing in April‑May with a full launch slated for June. Leveraging Pantip.com’s 2.2 million daily users, the platform aims to convert 10% of visitors into shoppers while offering merchants fees capped...
Small Firms Face High Finance Costs
The Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee warned that micro‑SMEs are facing soaring finance costs as nano‑finance loans jumped 56% year‑on‑year to 94.5 billion baht, with interest rates hovering near the 28‑33% regulatory ceiling. Although traditional bank rates have fallen following...
Small Firms Under Pressure as Costs Soar
Thai small and medium enterprises are confronting a perfect storm of rising energy and logistics costs, tighter loan conditions, and geopolitical uncertainty. The Federation of Thai SMEs notes that corruption and competition from expanding retail chains further erode profitability, especially...
Viriyah Mulls Higher EV Premiums
Viriyah Insurance is considering higher premiums for electric‑vehicle (EV) policies after its EV segment posted a combined‑ratio loss slightly above 10 %, meaning claims and expenses exceed premiums. The insurer will adopt a model‑by‑model pricing approach, tailoring rates to each vehicle’s...
Mall Ramkhamhaeng Turns to Culture
The Mall Group is redeveloping its flagship Mall Ramkhamhaeng into a cultural retail hub under the “1981 Soul & Sold” project. The concept blends commerce, culture and community, targeting vintage fashion, collectibles, music, art and lifestyle services. Development is underway, with tenant recruitment and...
Thailand Holds LNG Talks with US Producer
Thailand’s energy ministry and state‑oil giant PTT met with Cheniere Energy to boost LNG imports from the United States. The parties aim to raise annual deliveries from 1 million to 1.3 million tonnes under a long‑term contract lasting until 2041. They also...
Thai Refiner Makes Rare Purchase of North Sea Crude
Thai refiners have secured a rare cargo of North Sea Forties crude, purchasing roughly 700,000 barrels from Trafigura for a late‑March shipment. This marks the first Thai acquisition of North Sea oil since Bloomberg began tracking in 2019, highlighting a...
AIS Outlines Targets for Upcoming Clicx Bank
Advanced Info Service (AIS) together with Krungthai Bank and PTTOR will launch Clicx Bank, an AI‑driven virtual bank, in Thailand by June 2025. The venture, structured through Thai Trinity Holdings, targets up to 30% of the partners’ combined 60 million customers,...
Tourism Stimulus Eyed to Address Slowdown
Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) is preparing a stimulus package aimed at reviving short‑haul and domestic travel as the Middle East conflict depresses visitor numbers. The plan includes establishing a tourism “war room” with private operators to monitor flight capacity, oil...
Centre Flags War Risk to Thai Growth
The Center for Economic and Business Forecasting at UTCC outlined three Middle‑East war scenarios, estimating that a prolonged, wide‑scale conflict could shave 2.31 percentage points off Thailand’s GDP. In the worst case, energy‑cost burdens would rise above 200 billion baht, exports could...
Thailand Prepares to Defend USTR on Trade Probes
Thailand’s commerce ministry has created a high‑level task force to counter new USTR investigations under Section 301, which target excess capacity in autos, auto parts, machinery and rubber. The United States highlighted a $51 billion trade surplus in Thailand’s favour, up from...
MJets Buoyant on Regional Outlook
Private jet operator MJets is leveraging rising Southeast Asian demand by expanding its service portfolio and geographic footprint. The company has become Thailand’s exclusive Gulfstream dealer, added a minority stake in Singapore’s WingsOverAsia, and launched FBO operations in New Delhi...
TCG Provides B14.5bn in Credit Guarantees for SME Loans
Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG) issued credit guarantees worth 14.5 billion baht in the first two months of the year, a 4.4‑fold increase from a year earlier. The guarantees enabled 17,800 SMEs to secure formal financing, injecting roughly 60 billion baht of...
AI Boom Drives Tech Investment Surge
Investments in AI‑related infrastructure are set to lift Thailand's IT spending to nearly 1.1 trillion baht in 2026, an 8.36% year‑on‑year rise. Data‑centre systems will grow 27.9% to 70.6 billion baht, with server spending surging almost 38% to 51.1 billion baht as enterprises...
Remote Work Move Weighs on Transport, Media Stocks
Thailand’s caretaker government has ordered a temporary work‑from‑home arrangement for non‑essential public‑sector employees, aiming to curb energy use amid Middle‑East tensions. Analysts say the shift could modestly dent traffic volumes and weigh on transport operators such as Bangkok Expressway and...
Foreign Holdings of Thai Stocks Peak
Foreign investors' holdings in Thai equities surged to a record 6.11 trillion baht in January, representing 37.1% of total market capitalisation. Although they were net sellers of Thai stocks last year, they continued to buy non‑voting depository receipts, indicating sustained exposure....