Business News
Thailand business news, market trends, foreign investment, and economic updates—stay informed on stock market movements, entrepreneurship, and key developments shaping the economy. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for business news in Thailand.
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Sponsored Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know
The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...
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Open Pattaya’s bars! Business owners protest bans on city bars and clubs | VIDEO
The situation for many of Pattaya’s clubs and bars, the cornerstone of the city’s economy, is dire. One of the most prolific bar owners is Bryan Flowers from Nightwish Group. He wants his staff to remain employed as he sees the city’s economy and workers suffer. He is also asking the media to stop publishing raw stats and numbers each…
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KLM to increase flights to Middle-East, Asia as border restrictions ease
The Dutch carrier KLM plans to increase its flights to Asian and Middle-Eastern destinations as countries plan for a re-opening of their borders. According to TTR Weekly, the airline’s summer network is almost the same as in 2019, but with a reduction in the number of flights on offer as a result of the pandemic. The airline plans to introduce…
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Pattaya bars plead for government help
Beer sellers of Pattaya are pleading with the government to let them open for foreign tourists. Also, to relax closure measures that apply to the entertainment businesses. Barring that, they ask for significant financial aid. The proprietors of beer-related businesses say they are suffering greatly due to the economic crisis. As per their statements to the associated press this week.…
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Large orange juice order leads to large “fine”
5 officials from the Excise Department are currently under investigation for allegedly asking for a 12,000 baht “fine” from a shop proprietor who had filled a substantial order for orange juice. The officials had been working in Bangkok at the time of their orange juice related fine giving. The 5 Excise officials have since been transferred to a different office…
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New online entry packages offered by AXA to welcome in tourists
PRESS RELEASE Tadoo, Thailand’s up-and-coming insurance, and finance comparison platform have announced a partnership with AXA, one of the world’s largest and most trusted insurance providers. One of the highlighted standout products from the new partnership is the Entry package to Thailand during covid-19, comprising of the Covid-19 Insurance Certificate and Covid-19 Travel Insurance. The Entry Package to Thailand is…
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Tourism program adds a plus
This weekend, the Phuket government announced a program whereby businesses can now flout their relative vaccinated status to customers with a certificate with a literal plus. The Amazing Thailand SHA Plus certification is reached via an online registration from the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration aka SHA. The government has urged all businesses and venues that are 70% inoculated…
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Thailand’s quarantine hotels consider move to hybrid model
Hotels currently operating as alternative state quarantine facilities are considering moving to a hybrid model, as bookings drop ahead of Phuket’s re-opening. ASQ hotels say reduced demand means they may adopt a model whereby they accept both quarantining guests and regular guests from the second half of the year. Prin Pathanatham from the ASQ-ALQ Club Thailand says bookings have started…
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Another 700 7-Eleven stores to open across Thailand
The operator of the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores has confirmed it will open another 700 shops in the Kingdom this year. According to a Bangkok Post report this morning, CP All plans to spend between 11.5 and 12 billion baht on expansion in 2021. The company has opened 155 new 7-Eleven stores so far this year, meaning there were…
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Thousands of restaurants could close due to Covid restrictions, many others struggling
Thailands newest wave of Covid, as well as the most virulent, and the lockdowns and restrictions because of it, is set to ruin hundreds of restaurants. One restaurant owner, 79 year old Kamol Trisitthichet, who owns Arlek Ratchawongse, spoke to Thai media about his ongoing struggles. He says that his business has lost 500,000 baht since the pandemic started. Further, despite…
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Thai Airways introducing limited direct flights between Europe and Phuket
Thai Airways is testing the waters (so to speak) by introducing a limited number of direct flights from Europe to Phuket, ahead of the southern island’s July 1 re-opening. The national carrier, currently in the throes of restructuring after teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, has started selling direct flights from 4 European cities to Phuket. According to a Bangkok…
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No government bailout for Thai Airways
A final meeting for a vote on the Thai Airways debt restructure program is set for this Wednesday after being postponed last week. Meanwhile, a source close to those managing Thai Airways’ debt rehab plan, says the state is not obliged to provide a bailout for the national carrier. The Bangkok Post reports that Chansin Treenuchagron, acting president for Thai…
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Thailand’s airlines call for meeting with PM to discuss soft loans
The Thai Airlines Association says 7 member airlines are pushing for a meeting with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to discuss the option of soft loans. The carriers have been seeking this financial aid for some time and have even decreased the amount being asked for, from 24 billion baht last year to 14 billion now. The Bangkok Post reports that representatives…
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Thai Airways’ creditors to vote on rehab plan today
Today is D-Day for Thai Airways, with 13,000 creditors voting on whether or not to accept the struggling airline’s rehabilitation plan. According to a Bangkok Post report, a source at the airline has warned that should creditors reject the plan, the carrier will be declared bankrupt and they would only receive 12.9% of what they’re owed. In the event of…
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Government will not re-capitalise struggling Thai Airways
The State Enterprise Policy Office says the government will not back a billion-baht cash injection for Thai Airways. The national airline is currently been dragged through bankruptcy proceedings. Pantip Sripimol from the SEPO says the Thai Finance Ministry will not re-capitalise the carrier, although it remains its largest shareholder. The Bangkok Post reports that there are concerns Thai Airways could…
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Thailand jumps on the electric bandwagon, aims to become EV production hub
The Thai government has ambitious plans to turn the Kingdom into a Southeast Asian hub for the manufacture of electric vehicles. Nikkei Asia reports that big companies in Thailand are preparing to invest substantially in the greener mode of transport, after the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee suggested a new manufacturing target could mean half of Thailand’s auto-production is made…
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Pfizer sees 45% increase in net income and revenue, as critics point to disparity in global vaccine availability
After seeing a 45% increase in net income from last year, Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant, is largely increasing its projected profits for this year. And, the increase is undoubtedly due to the high amount of Covid-19 vaccine sales, in which the company says is shaping up to provide a “durable” revenue stream. The company says this year’s first quarter profits…
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Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chon Buri closes its doors forever
One of Thailand’s most popular and visited Tiger zoos has announced that it’s closing its doors, permanently. Sriracha Tiger Zoo, a Chon Buri tourist magnet, located in Nong Kham, was in operation for 24 years. Wasan Temsiriphong, the MD of the Sriracha Tiger Zoo operation said that they will meet with employees on Monday to discuss termination payments and the…
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Medical, business sectors blame government over Covid-19
Corporations are losing faith in Thailand’s political leaders as many in the medical, financial and business sector are placing the blame on the Prayut government for the current Covid-19 situation. They claim that corruption and cronyism is hindering and dampening a more decisive and productive course of action. The Chamber of Commerce has already offered logistical support to expedite vaccinations…
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More closures in Bangkok, in force now
It’s not a formal lockdown, but it may as well be, with newly announced closures from the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority. From Monday, April 26, a lot more services, public spaces and businesses around Bangkok are now closed. Additionally events will be limited to just 20 people, down from the former limitation of 50 people. Face mask-wearing will be enforced with…
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Thai PM under pressure to go “full lockdown” as infections surge
With many more businesses being told to pull down their shutters in Bangkok from midnight tonight, there are now calls to just go the next step and impose a full lockdown as the infection numbers keep mounting up. With the additional 31 types of business closed, on top of the current restrictions in Bangkok, the BMA has all but imposed…
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Top 10 most useful apps in Thailand for expats and tourists
Apps have changed the way we do a lot of daily, ordinary, tasks. Living in Thailand ,we have bench tested a range of apps and decided on the Top 10 most useful apps currently available, most of them are free, or have a free version. So many previously complicated or time-consuming tasks are now so much simpler, and sitting in…
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Bitcoin sheds nearly 15% of its ‘value’ in one day
After a meteoric, and probably unsustainable rise and rise over the past 12 months, Bitcoin has suffered a short and sharp mini-crash over the weekend, dropping nearly 15% of its value in less than an hour – a stark warning of the cryptocurrency’s unpredictable volatility. Bitcoin dropped in ‘value’ from about US$59,000 to US$51,000 before rebounding. Ethereum and Dogecoin also…
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The Thaiger joins forces with Masii to bring you hassle-free Thailand re-entry packages and much more
PRESS RELEASE The Thiager and its sister company Tadoo, have announced they will enter a strategic partnership with the Bangkok-based fintech company, Masii. Having joined forces with Masii, The Thaiger aims to provide its 6 million-plus monthly users with exclusive deals and packages such as the Thailand re-entry package, comprising of the Certificate of Entry (COE), Covid-19 Travel Insurance and…
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Aviation authority calling for 20,000 vaccine doses for crew, ground staff
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is calling for vaccine doses to protect around 20,000 airline crew and ground staff before the country re-opens to international tourists. The CAAT says it’s vital that those working in the aviation industry are protected and has submitted its request to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. According to Suthipong Kongpool from the CAAT,…
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Leader of Thai cryptocurrency exchange warns regulators about tight restrictions
The co-founder of Thailand’s largest cryptocurrency exchange has slammed regulators for plans to set requirements that would limit who can trade cryptocurrency. Following a drastic spike in domestic crypto trading, Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission, decided to look into tighter restrictions and say traders will be soon required to have experience, be educated in trading or pass an exam. Too…
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Bangkok’s Chatuchak weekend market opening weekdays
Chatuchak weekend market, known locally as JJ, is scheduled to open 6 days a week from next month in an effort to make up for losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns and restrictions. The iconic market in Bangkok saw a sharp decline in even local Thai customers after the economic slump caused by borders closing during the pandemic. The…
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North expansion project at Suvarnabhumi will go ahead – Transport Minister
The Transport Minister says expansion plans at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will go ahead and will include the contentious North expansion project. Saksayam Chidchob’s announcement appears to disregard a recommendation from the National Anti-Corruption Commission, who have previously stated that any expansion should be in line with a proposal from the National Economic and Social Development Council. That proposal suggested the…
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Roshi, financial comparison platform is helping Singaporeans master their money
Singapore-based entrepreneur, Amir Nada, launched a financial comparison platform during the lockdown that is helping Singaporeans master all their money moves. Like Thailand-based, Tadoo, the new platform allows consumers to easily compare and choose the best financial products and plan better ways to spend and save. SINGAPORE (SEPTEMBER) – “There’s always an opportunity in a crisis.” That’s the resounding message…
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Civil Aviation Authority to consider airlines’ requests to ease some Covid measures
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has singled out 8 Thai airlines it still has faith in and believes will stay afloat. The CAAT says that without the Covid-19 crisis, none of the carriers risked going bankrupt and the tough financial situation they find themselves in is solely due to the pandemic. The Bangkok Post reports that the 8 airlines,…
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Consumer groups sue Trade Competition Commission for approving CP-Tesco merger
Thailand’s Trade Competition Commission has been served with a lawsuit courtesy of the Foundation for Consumers and 37 other consumer groups, as a result of a merger between the conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group and Lotus (formerly Tesco Lotus). “The Charoen Pokphand Group is a Thai conglomerate based in Bangkok. It is Thailand’s largest private company and one of the world’s…
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