Economy and commerce

Thailand is returning to its economic roots as a food producer, with overseas demand for rice, seafood, fruit and other edibles bolstering exports even as the Covid-19 pandemic dents production and shipments of manufactured goods.The proportion of food- and agricultural-related exports to total shipments jumped to ...

The Finance Ministry is gearing up to launch both financial and non-financial measures aimed at revitalising the economy once the pandemic is under control.The stimulus package prioritises job creation in the local economy, said Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana.The measures call for specialised financial institutions including ...

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) is concerned about a swift baht appreciation in the past two weeks and promised to impose extra measures to address short-term inflows just as the currency rose again today (June 1).Deputy governor Mathee Supapongse said today that the baht has ...

Thailand’s parliament approved on Sunday (May 31) a near-US$60 billion stimulus package, the kingdom’s biggest-ever cash injection, to revive an economy that has been hammered by the coronavirus.The 1.9 trillion baht (US$59.7 billion) package would be a much-needed boost for Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy, expected ...

The cabinet has agreed to set up a committee to consider whether Thailand should seek membership in an Asia-Pacific trade agreement after widespread opposition last month amid concerns joining the pact may harm the agriculture industry.The lower house panel will open for public opinions on ...

Thailand plans to boost domestic tourism in the third quarter to help support the struggling economy as the coronavirus pandemic hits global travel and domestic consumption, the state planning agency said on Monday.The export- and tourism-driven economy may shrink 5% to 6% this year, the ...

Based on a 2019 study by Facebook and Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, digital consumers in ASEAN will be spending three times as much in 2025.The joint study found that while consumers in Southeast Asia spent US$125 on average on online purchases ...

The country’s household bad debt is expected to reach 1 trillion baht this year, putting the ratio to total loans outstanding into double digits as debt-servicing ability erodes amid coronavirus-induced income shocks, says the head of the National Credit Bureau (NCB).Non-performing loans (NPLs) are surging ...

Thailand’s e-commerce, excluding business-to-business engagement, is expected to grow 35% to 220 billion baht in 2020, driven by the coronavirus outbreak, says Priceza, a price comparison shopping website.Meanwhile, the competition between social commerce and e-marketplaces is expected to intensify.“In the post-Covid-19 world, the online channel ...

The Thai economy contracted by 1.8 per cent in the first quarter from the same period last year or shrank by 2.2 per cent from the previous quarter after seasonal adjustment, the National Economic and Social Development Council has said.This recession was driven by the ...