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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  • Pattaya attracting major government and international brand investment

    Pattaya attracting major government and international brand investment

    As part of Pattaya’s make-over to attract high-scale tourism back to the popular seaside city, some of the biggest names in local and international leisure, retail and sport are putting their money down to invest in the region’s future. And the Thai government is investing heavily too as part of its commitment to rebrand the area and bring it up…

  • Goodbye e-commerce, hello ‘new retail’

    Goodbye e-commerce, hello ‘new retail’

    PHOTOS: Alibaba Group Our lifestyles are quickly evolving as the digital age kills off the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ inexorably creeps in to our daily life. Goodby Kodak and Polaroid – hello smartphone cameras and Facebook. Goodbye newspapers – hello instant news websites, blogs and live-streaming. The same is happening to retail as the shopfront moves to websites and screens…

  • Former Thai actor arrested over Bitcoin scam

    Former Thai actor arrested over Bitcoin scam

    A once-popular actor has been charged with convincing foreigners to transfer to him more than 5,500 bitcoins as an investment. (5,500 Bitcoin are worth around 210,000 baht or US$6,300 each as of today) Police picked up 27 year old Jiratphisit Jarawitchit today at midday at a shopping mall in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for him…

  • Sony’s new Xperia XZ2 Premium with ultra-high sensitivity dual camera

    Sony’s new Xperia XZ2 Premium with ultra-high sensitivity dual camera

    ADVERTISEMENT Sony Thailand steps up its game with new smartphones introduced to compete offerings from some of the Chinese companies as well as Samsung and Apple. Sony have announced the new XZ2 Premium, which has one of the most remarkable cameras ever integrated into a smartphone. The new phone boasts the world’s highest ISO 12800 sensitivity for video recording in…

  • Thavorn Hotels & Resorts receives Thailand MICE Venue Standard Award

    Thavorn Hotels & Resorts receives Thailand MICE Venue Standard Award

    Thavorn Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce its certification of Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). The certification assesses venues in three key areas – physical, technological, and service requirements. Certified venues appear on an Approved List and are publicised worldwide as venues that meet international standards. MICE – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and…

  • Blue Tree Phuket appoints hospitality ace as GM

    Blue Tree Phuket appoints hospitality ace as GM

    Blue Tree Phuket has announced the appointment of Michael Ayling, a veteran of Phuket’s hospitality scene, as its general manager. Having worked in a consulting capacity on the project for the past 24 months, Mr Ayling now takes the reins to lead the development, beginning with its opening to the public in early 2019. The UK-born leisure industry professional brings…

  • Boeing says Asian region biggest growth area for aviation in next two decades

    Boeing says Asian region biggest growth area for aviation in next two decades

    By Data Leads. PHOTO: Thai Airways Boeing 787 Asian countries are estimated to require 16,930 more airplanes by 2037, making the region the fastest growing aviation area in the world. Boeing’s annual forecast, the Commercial Market Outlook, reveals that the world fleet of jet planes would need 42, 370 new planes valued at US$6.3 trillion. The forecast predicts that the global…

  • AI company invests 350 million baht in SE Asia – opens office in Phuket

    AI company invests 350 million baht in SE Asia – opens office in Phuket

    Invacio, an artificial intelligence company, are busy setting up their operations in Thailand as part of their global operations. They are investing up to 350 Million baht in south east Asia Invacio Research Analytics, a group subsidiary of Invacio founded by William J D West, has launched in Thailand, led by Linleeya West (Thai/Swiss educated) Linleeya West felt this was…

  • Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa announces their new GM

    Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa announces their new GM

    Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa have today announced the appointment of Markus Kosch as the new GM. Markus most recently served as General Manager of Conrad Guangzhou in China. Commenting on his appointment, Markus said, “I am excited to have the opportunity to be at the helm of one of the largest resorts in Phuket.” A 22 year veteran in the…

  • Thai Airways to end its Samui flights this September

    Thai Airways to end its Samui flights this September

    PHOTO: planespotters.net Thai Airways is scrapping its Bangkok-Samui flights from September this year. The airline’s been flying Bangkok to Samui, return, twice a day in a Boeing 737 carrying up to 149 passengers. It negotiated a contract with Bangkok Airways to fly the two flights into Koh Samui, which built and manages the island’s airport since 2008. At the time,…

  • BMW eyes bright future for electric cars in Thailand

    BMW eyes bright future for electric cars in Thailand

    That growth makes Thailand number three in the world in terms of market acceptance of PHEVs, according to Krisda Utamote, BMW Group Thailand’s director of corporate communications. Christian Wiedmann, president of BMW Thailand, says the German carmaker would continue churning out new electric vehicle models due to confidence in its global market expansion, with Thailand included. “In Thailand, BMW is…

  • Property report tips Phuket property boom

    Property report tips Phuket property boom

    According to Knight Frank Thailand’s research, the Phuket condo market is expected to perform better in line with the brighter economic situation and the growing population of the island. Increasing supply and higher selling prices will be the key drivers, while demand is forecast to improve slightly. The number of launches in Phuket is predicted to increase and Thai developers…

  • Thai Airways profits up nearly 50% for Q1

    Thai Airways profits up nearly 50% for Q1

    Thai Airways International and its subsidiaries have been able to notch up an operating profit of 3,836 million baht for the first quarter of 2018. This represents a 49.4% improvement over the same period last year, despite rising fuel costs. That cashes out as a net profit of 2,737 million baht, still 432 million baht (13.6%) short of last year’s Q1…

  • Warnings over cheap cosmetic surgery – Lee’s story

    Warnings over cheap cosmetic surgery – Lee’s story

    PHOTO: Nine News, Australia Most cosmetic surgeries in Thailand will definitely save you money when compared to the costs in western hospitals. And the vast majority of procedures will go perfectly according to plan with patients broadly happy with their results. But Lee Cameron says she will regret the decision to have cosmetic surgery in Thailand for the rest of…

  • Netflix, Spotify and Chill – Navigating the brave new world of music and TV

    Netflix, Spotify and Chill – Navigating the brave new world of music and TV

    Subscription movies and music services are booming, in particular Netflix which has over 125 million users worldwide and Spotify which has over 70 million paying users. The subscription model is where you pay a monthly fee and are entitled access to media which is streamed via the internet, rather than buy a physical CD/DVD, an album from iTunes or pay…

  • South East Asia hotel investor’s summit kicks off in BKK Monday

    South East Asia hotel investor’s summit kicks off in BKK Monday

    PHOTOS: seahis.com The largest investor summit for hotel owners and investors in south east asia kicks off in Bangkok May 14 & 15. The event is being held at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit. At this stage the event has 220 registered delegates from 15 countries, representing 60 leading hotels. Organisers say the event will adopt a roundtable format to allow delegates guests…

  • New 101 villa luxury property heading to Mai Khao, Phuket

    New 101 villa luxury property heading to Mai Khao, Phuket

    PHOTO: Viagens e Férias Global hospitality group Melia Hotels International has signed a new 101 villa luxury property in Mai Khao, Phuket. The developer of the property is the Phuket Villa Group. Each of the hotel villas feature private pools. Slated for 2021, the group will enter the Phuket market with an exclusive luxury resort on the idealic Mai Khao beach, at the…

  • Alibaba to invest 11 billion baht in Thailand

    Alibaba to invest 11 billion baht in Thailand

    Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has committed to invest a combined 11 billion baht in Thailand in a move that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says could benefit the country’s small farmers and rural enterprises due to the firm’s expertise in diverse technology. “Jack Ma (Alibaba’s co-founder and executive chairman) told me he does not solely look for profits because Alibaba already…

  • Transparent Government. Where does Thailand rank?

    Transparent Government. Where does Thailand rank?

    Japan has the most open government system in Asia, according to the recently released World Justice Project. Thailand leads countries like China and Malaysia when it comes to transparent government. Globally, Thailand ranks 68th in the ranking. The report measures whether country’s basic laws and information on legal rights are publicly available, presented in simple language and if there is…

  • Confidence riding high – Thai economy continues to surpass forecasts

    Confidence riding high – Thai economy continues to surpass forecasts

    Confidence is riding high according to the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking. They report that the private sector remains confident about Thailand’s economic growth of 4.5% being maintained as exports and tourism continue to rise. But the Committee warns that the private sector is being spooked by potential fall out from the ramping up of trade disputes…

  • That was 2017. This is 2018. Thai Economy

    That was 2017. This is 2018. Thai Economy

    by Patrick Cooke, Regional Editor for Asia. Rising overseas demand for goods and services pushed Thailand’s GDP towards five-year highs in 2017, with business-friendly fiscal policies and planned spending on infrastructure expected to support further expansion in 2018. The Thai economy improved over the course of 2017, recording year-on-year growth of 3.3% in the first quarter, 3.8% in the second…

  • Future of money or a fraud? Deconstructing Bitcoin in the region.

    Future of money or a fraud? Deconstructing Bitcoin in the region.

    By Asia News Network, NEW DELHI Bitcoin’s popularity in Asia has had a positive influence on other alternative cryptocurrencies such as ethereum and litecoin. Clearly there is a great demand for such digital money, even though its volatility hurts. Asia has reacted both warmly and violently to the rising interest and craze in cryptocurrencies. Asian regulators have either outrightly banned the…

  • WEDNESDAY MORNING HEADLINES – All your news in 3 minutes

    WEDNESDAY MORNING HEADLINES – All your news in 3 minutes

    A lot of stories making up our news feeds today, from all over Thailand. Let’s ignore the threat of a 100% chance of rain from the forecast and focus on the sunshine in between. Here are today’s main news stories… Minimum wage rise, but… Debate over a rise in the minimum wage is heating up, with a key battleground opening…

  • Cachet comes to Nai Yang

    Cachet comes to Nai Yang

    Cachet: The sate of being respected or admired. On December 16, 2017, discerning travellers discovered a new dimension of bespoke lifestyle resort with the grand opening of the Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket. This re-imagined lifestyle resort is set on the shores of Nai Yang Beach, at the north end of Phuket’s west coast, a mere 5 minutes from the international…

  • Phuket Gateway 2.0 to be ready next month

    Phuket Gateway 2.0 to be ready next month

    Phuket Gateway will be ready to kick off on December 12 this year and is expected to be the welcoming landmark of Phuket at the top of the island providing useful information to travelers. This morning (November 9) Phuket’s Governor, Norapat Plodthong, chaired a meeting to follow up on the project – the Phuket Gateway at Thachatchai – which was…

  • Where’s the best place to do business in Asia? (It’s not Thailand)

    Where’s the best place to do business in Asia? (It’s not Thailand)

    Singapore, closely followed by South Korea, remains the best country in which to run a business, according to the World Bank. While Brunei, Thailand and India have registered the most notable improvement in the ease of doing business. Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh are the region’s lowest ranked economies. In the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business list, Singapore has been…

  • Billion baht sports & conference complex to be built at Mai Khao Beach

    Billion baht sports & conference complex to be built at Mai Khao Beach

    Phuket’s Governor led a team to visit 150 rai of land on Mai Khao Beach today (November 8) to review the plans to build a sports complex with a 900 – 1,000 million Baht budget from the budget year 2019. The sports complex is expected to attract more sports tourism to the island featuring a sports centre, exhibition hall and…

  • The Thai Canal – cutting through the project’s hype

    The Thai Canal – cutting through the project’s hype

    (Photo from mothership.sg) September 11, 2017 was the latest gathering of minds related to the challenges in establishing the much-discussed Kra Canal (now referred to as the Thai Canal) in Bangkok. The canal, if it happens, would slice a new shipping canal through the the slimmest section of the Malay Peninsula, anywhere from Chumpon to south of Phuket. The Thai…

  • Is Bangkok’s property market cooling off? No, says Bloomberg.

    Is Bangkok’s property market cooling off? No, says Bloomberg.

    An update on the Bangkok property market from Bloomberg. “We’re still undervalued as a country, compared to Singapore and Hong Kong. And China, in a lot of major cities.” Click the chart to watch the Bloomberg report on Thailand’s biggest property portfolio. PHOTO: fazwaz.com

  • World Bank upgrades Thailand’s growth projections

    World Bank upgrades Thailand’s growth projections

    The World Bank on Thursday upgraded its economic growth projections for Thailand to 3.5 per cent from the 3.2 per cent estimated previously. The Bank said that economic growth in Thailand is gaining momentum, with global growth and recovery from severe droughts buoying an expansion of GDP by 3.3 per cent in the first quarter and 3.7 per cent in…