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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Moving with family? Here’s how to cut health costs in Thailand
Relocating to Thailand with your family brings exciting new opportunities, but it also comes with the challenge of managing healthcare costs in a new system. Thailand has both public and private healthcare options, each offering different prices and quality of...
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China’s consumer price index sees slowest growth in two years
China’s consumer prices experienced a slow increase over the past two years in April, with factory gate deflation becoming more pronounced, according to recent data. This outcome has prompted conjecture that additional stimulus activities may be necessary to enhance the uneven post-pandemic economic recovery. In April, the consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0.1% year-on-year, making it the lowest level…
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Disney reduces streaming losses but sheds subscribers as earnings meet expectations
Walt Disney has reported a reduction in streaming losses by US$400 million from the previous quarter; however, the company also experienced a drop in subscribers. The entertainment giant shared this information on Wednesday as part of its recent quarterly earnings release, which fell in line with Wall Street expectations. Following the report, shares of Disney declined by 4.4% during after-hours…
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Toyota projects 10% profit growth and five-fold increase in EV sales this year
Toyota Motor Corp revealed on Wednesday that a 10% increase in operating profit is expected during this business year, as sales of pure electric vehicles (EV) are predicted to surge five-fold with a reduction in global supply chain disruption caused by the ongoing chip shortage. The ambitious growth plan was introduced by the newly appointed CEO, Koji Sato, who entered…
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China’s shrinking birth rate impacts baby product manufacturers
A decline in China’s population is creating a challenging environment for the country’s baby and children’s product manufacturers, as domestic sales plummet and companies grapple with finding alternative revenue streams. As the world’s largest market for baby food and diapers, valued at US$37.9 billion annually, prepares to contract for the first time, firms are turning their attention to products for…
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Thailand targets high-spending Middle Eastern tourists for tourism growth
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is focusing on attracting high-spending visitors from the Middle East in the latter half of this year, with the goal of utilising this market as a new tourism growth engine. Apichai Chatchalermkit, TAT’s deputy governor for tourism products and business, has stated that since Thailand re-established full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia in early…
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Growing global demand for gold amid banking sector turmoil and geopolitical tensions
The global demand for gold from investors is witnessing an increase due to instability in the banking sector, geopolitical tensions, and a challenging economic environment, prompting individuals to turn to the precious metal as a safe-haven asset, according to the World Gold Council (WGC). The WGC’s most recent Gold Demand Trend report revealed that demand for gold bars and coins…
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Thai food exports forecast to grow despite challenges
Despite economic uncertainties, inflationary pressures, foreign exchange fluctuations, and rising production costs, Thai food exports are predicted to grow by 2.1% to 1.5 trillion baht this year. The main factors supporting this outlook include the government’s policies to stimulate economic growth, the country’s reopening after the pandemic, global supply chain shortages, increased concerns about food safety, and the high-quality standards…
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Truemoney partners with Mastercard and Google for contactless payment expansion
TrueMoney, a prominent e-payment and financial service provider, has collaborated with Mastercard and Google to facilitate the integration of TrueMoney Mastercard virtual prepaid cards, formerly referred to as WeCard, into Google Wallet. This development enables Google Wallet users to utilise TrueMoney Mastercard for contactless payment through the Google Pay platform. Apinand Dabpetch, head of TrueMoney’s growth and wallet platform, explained…
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Bangchak Group monitors energy prices amid global recession concerns
Energy giant Bangchak Group of Thailand is keeping a close eye on energy prices for the second quarter of this year, amid concerns of an impending global recession. The company reported a 16% increase in revenue in the first quarter. Chaiwat Kovavisarach, the group CEO and president of Bangchak Corporation Plc, expressed that crude oil prices are likely to remain…
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CIMB Thai Bank targets 500 million baht in digital personal loans focusing on upper-income segment
CIMB Thai Bank (CIMBT) has announced intentions to expand its digital personal loan offerings in the current year, aiming for a total of 500 million baht whilst primarily focusing on the upper-income segment. Recently, CIMBT introduced two digital personal loan products – the “Personal Cash” instalment loan and the “Extra Cash” credit line. These products have a combined value of…
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Inspecting Toyota factory in Chachoengsao to assure car buyers of safety standards
Inspectors are set to visit the Toyota factory in Chachoengsao this week to ensure vehicle safety standards are met by the leading Japanese car manufacturer. This decision follows discussions on May 9 between the permanent secretary for industry, Nattapol Rangsitpol, and Akio Toyoda, the board chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, concerning the safety test results for the eco-car Yaris Ativ.…
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Saha Group unit invests 6 billion baht in KingBridge Tower project
KingBridge Tower Co, a subsidiary of Saha Group, has invested six billion baht in the construction of KingBridge Tower, with a focus on offering office space rentals. Situated alongside Bhumibol Bridge and Rama III Road, the tower has been chosen as a demonstration project for energy and environmental conservation by the Circular Economy in Construction Industry group. The project utilises…
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Activists throw cake at Volkswagen bosses during annual shareholder meeting in Berlin
Berlin was the setting for protests at Volkswagen’s annual shareholders’ meeting yesterday, as demonstrators voiced their concerns over human rights and climate change issues. Europe’s largest car manufacturer faced pressure from climate protesters gathered outside the event venue, urging the company to take steps to reduce its carbon footprint. Activists from the group Scientist Rebellion displayed a message stating… “The…
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Exploring the possibility of a new departure tax in Thailand
As the general election approaches, the introduction of a new tax is considered an extremely sensitive issue and a rare political tactic. Despite this, the Revenue Department moved forward last week to address concerns regarding a potential new departure tax on outbound travellers, based on a 40-year-old “emergency decree”. The department confirmed it has no plans to introduce a departure…
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Biden holds crucial meeting with Republicans on US debt limit impasse
President Joe Biden recently held a crucial meeting with Republican leaders to address the impasse over the US debt limit, which has far-reaching consequences on the world’s largest economy as well as the upcoming presidential election. The meeting at 4pm included Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. As the national debt ceiling, currently standing at…
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Thai stock market rebounds with net inflows as investors absorb negative US news
The Thai stock market has begun experiencing net inflows this week after significant capital outflows during the first four months of the year, according to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). Investors have seemingly absorbed negative news regarding the US banking crisis and the possibility of a recession. Soraphol Tulayasathien, a senior executive vice president, expressed hope that May would…
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Anthropic’s AI constitution: creating a safer rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Google owner Alphabet-backed artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic has revealed its rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, named Claude, which comes with a set of written moral values designed to make the chatbot safe to use. The moral values guidelines, known as Claude’s constitution, draw from various sources such as the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and Apple Inc’s data privacy…
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UK enjoys well-being boost from rare triple public holiday in May
This year’s coronation of King Charles III has increased the number of public holidays in the United Kingdom. With the special public holiday on the Monday following the May 6 ceremony, along with the early May bank holiday and the spring bank holiday later in the month, many workers are enjoying a celebratory period. Typically, public holidays in the UK,…
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Twitter CEO Elon Musk reveals new features including calls and encrypted messaging
Details regarding new features for Twitter, including calls and encrypted messaging, have been unveiled by Chief Executive Elon Musk, 49 years old, on Tuesday. Last year, Musk teased plans for “Twitter 2.0 The Everything App,” which he claimed would contain options like encrypted direct messages (DMs), long-form tweets, and payments. Musk announced in a tweet on Tuesday that the platform…
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Thailand and UAE launch first free trade agreement
Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) revealed the launch of their first free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday. The FTA aims to create new opportunities for trade, services, and investment between the two nations, expecting to boost bilateral trade by 10% within the first year of implementation. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit and the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign…
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Airbnb forecasts fewer bookings and lower daily rates in Q2 compared to last year
Airbnb Inc announced on Tuesday that it anticipates fewer bookings and reduced average daily rates in the second quarter compared to the previous year, resulting in an 11.5% decrease in share value during after-hours trading. US travel companies, which have profited from increased prices and hybrid work, are adjusting their 2023 forecasts as pre-pandemic travel patterns resume and consumers seek…
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Doi Kham Food Products expands into ice cream market amid declining fruit juice demand
Doi Kham Food Products Co, a Thai manufacturer and distributor of fruit juice and dried fruit has expanded its business to enter Thailand’s 15-billion-baht ice cream market in an effort to counter the ongoing decline in fruit juice demand. Chanannat Polpathapee, the company’s executive vice president for sales and marketing, said the Thai fruit juice market, particularly in the middle…
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Kerry Express partners with All Speedy to expand services into 7-Eleven branches in Thailand
Kerry Express (KEX), a leading express delivery provider in Thailand, has announced a partnership with All Speedy Co, a subsidiary of CP All, to extend its services to 7-Eleven branches across the country. Through this collaboration with All Speedy, Kerry Express is set to broaden its network of service points, offering services from as little as 19 baht and providing…
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TAT anticipates Chinese tourist arrivals to reach 1 million per month in October
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates that Chinese tourists could reach one million arrivals per month by October, similar to figures from 2019. An increase in flight capacity during the high season and resolving e-visa issues are factors expected to contribute to this growth. Chuwit Sirivejkul, TAT’s Regional Director of Marketing for East Asia, expressed confidence that Chinese tourist…
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Biden and Republican lawmakers fail to reach debt limit agreement
In a recent meeting at the White House, US President Joe Biden emphasized that the country’s debt limit must be addressed, warning that a default “is not an option” for the world’s largest economy. Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell met Biden, along with the top two congressional Democrats, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. However, no new developments were…
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Biden meets Republican leaders in bid to resolve US debt limit impasse
A significant meeting took place between President Joe Biden and Republican leaders yesterday, with the hope of breaking the deadlock over the US debt limit, which could have repercussions in the upcoming presidential election. The key gathering had President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell discussing the national debt ceiling, which currently stands at US$31.4…
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ISS backs ValueAct’s boardroom challenge at Seven & i Holdings
A leading proxy advisory firm, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), has supported ValueAct Capital‘s bid to secure positions for its four director nominees on the board of Japanese convenience store operator Seven & i Holdings. ValueAct, which owns 4.4% of Seven & i, has been particularly critical of the company’s conglomerate structure and has recently increased pressure further by publicly demanding…
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Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand set to hit pre-pandemic levels
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced that Chinese tourist arrivals are set to reach one million a month starting from October, a figure last witnessed prior to the pandemic. The increase in travel is likely to gain momentum during winter and long national holidays. TAT has observed a rise in advanced hotel bookings and chartered flight requests, indicating…
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Asia-Pacific cyber-attack risks in line with global trends but high attack expectations remain for 2023
Cyber-attack risks in the Asia-Pacific region decreased to a moderate level last year, mirroring the global trend, yet a recent survey found that 78% of organisations worldwide anticipate successful attacks occurring in 2023. Jon Clay, 42 years old, vice-president of threat intelligence at multinational cybersecurity software company Trend Micro, stated that the global cyber-risk index (CRI) shifted into positive territory…
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Bank of Thailand predicted to raise policy rate to 2% this month
Economists anticipate that the Bank of Thailand will raise its policy rate to a terminal level of 2% this month, following their estimation that the Federal Reserve’s funds rate has reached its peak. The research centre of TMBThanachart Bank (ttb) suggests that the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will increase the policy benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points during…
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