Archive
September 11, 2026
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Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports plans to present "Thailand Tourism Plus" to Cabinet on September 22, a domestic tourism stimulus program offering 1 million entitlements with government support up to 2,000 baht for accommodation and 1,500–2,000 baht in tourism coupons (similar to the "Khon La Khreung" co-payment model). Registration begins October 2026, with usage from November 2026 to February 2027. The program targets 20+ billion baht in economic circulation from a 4-billion-baht allocation, with anti-gouging measures including pre-registration price verification and blacklisting of fraudulent operators.
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Thailand's Chamber of Commerce held its 2026 annual summit "Unlocking New Growth" on September 10, bringing together government and private sector to address economic challenges including AI adoption, trade rules, and global shifts. The Commerce Ministry outlined 9 strategic tasks to support business growth—from fair trade practices and SME strengthening to IP commercialisation and combating illegal trade. The Bank of Thailand forecasts 2.3% GDP growth for 2026, with particular emphasis on technology investment, digital transformation, data centres, and tourism recovery as growth drivers. AI is positioned as a productivity opportunity, though deployment strategy remains underdeveloped in the broader takeaway.
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Beauty and health retail leader EVEANDBOY (market share #1 in Thailand at 15.6%) has filed for IPO with 170.35 million shares (~25% dilution), targeting SET listing. The company reported FY2568 revenue of 5.34 billion baht and net profit of 1.22 billion baht. Proceeds will fund aggressive expansion: 33 new stores in 2569 plus 35 in 2570 (68 total). Dividend policy set at ≥40% of net profit. Current major shareholders (Hiranya Tanmit and Prinya Wanesuk via holding companies) will retain ~38% and ~36% control post-IPO. This represents a significant capital raise enabling domestic retail expansion in the high-growth beauty sector.
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Thailand's Chamber of Commerce (ส.อ.ท.) has endorsed a restructuring of the motor vehicle excise tax framework approved by the National EV Policy Board. The initiative aims to use tax incentives to attract real investment and domestic production, while strengthening the supply chain by connecting major automakers with SMEs and component suppliers. During the first seven months of 2026, BEV registrations reached 127,000 units (up 88%), and BOI has promoted 189 EV-related projects worth ฿151 billion. This tax restructuring directly targets SME integration into Thailand's auto supply chain, which currently supports 2,500+ companies and 800,000+ workers, representing over 10% of national GDP.
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Thailand's State Railway approved a fourth time extension of the Thai-Chinese High-Speed Rail Contract 4-3 by 239 days (now ending July 2027) due to September 2024 flooding that damaged 45.81% of the construction zone in Ayutthaya. The railway is also seeking a 2-billion-baht budget increase across Contracts 3-4 and 3-2 due to geological conditions requiring more materials and work than originally planned; the board deferred approval pending further review and budget office coordination before a subsequent meeting.
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Sansiri (a major Thai real-estate developer) is expanding its large-scale residential community model, with the Don Muang Community as a key flagship project on 175 rai. The developer has created 18 communities valued at over 100 billion baht and plans to launch 12 new projects worth 15.3 billion baht in the second half of 2026, including luxury single-family homes and shop-houses across multiple locations. Sansiri's strategy focuses on creating integrated living ecosystems rather than just housing—combining different property types, security, schools, and professional management to capture growing demand in northern Bangkok's premium market.
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Indonesia's halal certification agency (BPJPH) will enforce new halal requirements on October 18, 2026, affecting Thai exports of food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and more. Three new regulations impose penalties (warnings to license revocation), mandatory "NON-HALAL" labeling, and pre-shipment verification by certified inspectors. Thai exporters must secure valid halal certificates, update labels, align documentation, and control storage/transport to avoid contamination. Thailand's trade office is negotiating with BPJPH on September 15 to renew the bilateral Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) and seek relief measures, while DITP has conducted three training seminars for Thai businesses.
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KPI Poll found 47% of respondents lack confidence in Thailand's disaster warning system, with digital platforms (social media, Line, Thai Disaster Alert app) preferred by 26% over cell broadcast and community towers. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department faces criticism for delayed warnings in recent flooding incidents. Improving system credibility and communication channels across regions is critical, as regional concerns vary (earthquakes/sinkholes in Bangkok, floods/landslides in the South and Northeast).
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A KPI poll reveals 47% of Thais lack or have little confidence in the government's disaster warning system, with failures to promptly alert residents during recent flooding incidents. Citizens prefer receiving alerts via Line, Facebook, and the Thai Disaster Alert app (26%), followed by cell broadcast (22%) and community towers (16%). The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department must improve response times and public trust, while leveraging both digital platforms and traditional community-based communication channels to reach all regions effectively.
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Gold prices fell sharply toward $4,300 following ECB's interest rate hike and accelerating US PPI inflation data, which increased Fed rate hike odds to 71%. Macro headwinds include elevated oil prices, rising bond yields, and today's US CPI print—a critical economic indicator ahead of the Fed's September 15-16 meeting. Gold is down over 2% for the week on continued downward momentum. Thai SMEs and investors tracking commodity exposure should monitor CPI results and Fed guidance closely, as further rate hikes could sustain pressure on gold and shift investment allocation strategies.
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Pocket FM, an Indian mobile audio content platform, has achieved a $500m annual revenue run rate, demonstrating strong market traction in the South Asian creator economy. While the company operates outside Thailand, the milestone illustrates emerging opportunities in regional digital content consumption and monetization models that Thai SMEs and startups could study or replicate in local markets.
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Ubisoft has changed its PC strategy by removing the mandatory installation of Ubisoft Connect for games purchased on Steam. Instead, a new "Ubisoft Connect Services Steam" tool will handle achievements, cross-platform save synchronization, and server connectivity. This rolls out initially with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and will expand to other titles, improving Steam player experience.
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Siam Kubota launches the SH-K1 sugarcane harvester capable of cutting 15–30 tonnes/hour (12–24 rai/day), reducing labor costs by ~30% and supporting Thailand's shift toward fresh-cane harvesting (96.2% adoption in 2568/69) and zero-burn practices. The move aligns with the Ministry of Industry's "ONE MIND" policy integrating farmers, mills, machinery makers, and finance to improve competitiveness while addressing labor shortages and PM2.5 pollution. Fresh cane boosts extraction efficiency (110→113 kg sugar per tonne) and farmer premiums across the supply chain.
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Thailand's Rubber Board revised its EUDR-compliant rubber export target downward from 130,800 to 90,826.85 tonnes to align with actual market demand. The board is developing "Thai Traceability" as a national standard covering traceability, GAP, due diligence, and sustainability, integrating data from 1.4 million farmers across 15.5 million rai using GIS and Blockchain. This framework aims to maintain EU market access and increase the premium value of Thai rubber by meeting emerging buyer requirements beyond price and quality—including origin transparency, legal compliance, and deforestation-free certification.
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Thai stock market expected to trade in 1,600–1,630 SET range with outperformance potential vs. global markets, driven by elevated energy/petrochemical stocks amid oil prices at $100–109/barrel. However, US PPI exceeded forecasts (5.4% YoY), pushing Fed rate-hike odds to 71%, creating headwinds for growth stocks and bond yields. Investors should monitor US CPI tonight and remain cautious on electronics stocks (DELTA, HANA, KCE), while favoring energy plays (PTT, PTTEP, PTTGC, TOP) and financial stocks (BBL, KBANK, SCB) positioned to benefit from higher yields.
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AirTrunk, a regional data centre operator, is securing a $1.5 billion loan in preparation for a Singapore REIT IPO. This signals major infrastructure investment activity in Southeast Asia's cloud/data centre sector, relevant for tech and real estate investors tracking hyperscaler expansion across the region.
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Japan has positioned "new foods" (alternative proteins, functional foods, fermentation tech) as a strategic industry under its 2040 investment roadmap, allocating ¥1 trillion to grow the market to ¥3 trillion. The government is prioritizing fermentation and food ingredients over cultivated meat. Thailand's biodiversity, processing expertise, and existing ¥5 billion+ agricultural exports to Japan create a direct opportunity for Thai food SMEs to move upstream from raw materials into higher-value functional food ingredients and products through capital and tech partnerships with Japanese firms.
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The US has implemented tariffs up to 100% on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and components under Section 232, effective September 3, 2024 (with additional components from February 9, 2025). Thailand—not eligible for preferential rates granted to EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and others—faces significant impact: Thai drone exports surged 232% annually to $8.64M in 2023, while components reached $86.55M. The Thai Commerce Ministry urgently advises exporters to verify HS codes against Annexes I-IV and urgently revise cost/pricing strategies to mitigate exposure.
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Thailand's Royal Irrigation Department (RID/สทนช.) has issued an expanded flood alert (Announcement 3/2569) for Sept 11-13, warning of flooding, flash floods, and mudslides across 23+ provinces as a monsoon trough and southwest monsoon intensify. Heaviest rainfall recorded Sept 11 reached 141 mm (Sisaket) and 108 mm (Bangkok). Further heavy rains expected Sept 14-16 in central, eastern and southern regions. Current national water reservoir capacity stands at 69% (55.6 billion m³), but 9 major and 55 medium-sized reservoirs remain critically low (below 30%).
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Thailand's Commerce Ministry Director Poon Phong Naiyanaphakorn unveiled an "Unlocking New Growth" strategy to transform the Thai economy. With exports up 18.2% in the first seven months of 2026 but SMEs (3.28 million entities, 99.5% of businesses) representing only 14% of export value while generating 35% of GDP, the plan aims to elevate SMEs from survival to scale by integrating them into global supply chains and shifting manufacturing from OEM to ODM/OBM models. The ministry will adopt three new roles—Stabilize, Connect, and Unlock—to reduce business barriers, digitize services, and shift agricultural focus from volume to value creation.
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