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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US-Iran conflict forces Thai airlines to slash capacity
The ongoing US-Iran conflict, now two months old, has triggered an oil price shock that is squeezing airlines worldwide, driving up living costs and causing widespread flight cancellations. A deepening jet fuel crisis is forcing carriers, including those in Thailand, to cut capacity in the coming months, putting pressure on both airlines and airports. Thai airlines are facing serious financial…
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Kao’s NEWTLAC earns Material Innovation Awards 2025 for sustainable asphalt innovation
Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd. has announced that NEWTLAC, a chemical innovation that repurposes used PET plastic bottles into an asphalt additive, has won the Material Innovation Awards 2025 at Architect Lanna 2025. The company said the additive is designed to enhance road construction performance while supporting sustainability goals by converting recycled plastic waste into what it described as green…
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Unemployment looms as PTT ‘tests’ self-service fuelling
PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) has officially launched a self-service fuelling option at PTT Station outlets across Thailand, offering drivers a discount of 40 satang per litre with no minimum purchase required. The rollout, framed under an “easy and smart” concept, is designed to cut waiting times during peak hours and give customers full control of the refuelling process.…
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Thai Senate committee proposes a 3% VAT hike in new tax reform
Thailand’s Economic, Financial and Fiscal Affairs Committee of the Senate proposed a tax reform plan to address the country’s fiscal deficit and rising public debt, including a proposal to raise value-added tax (VAT) from 7% to 10%. The committee, chaired by Kamphol Supapaeng, discussed the tax restructuring plan yesterday, April 19, as part of efforts to tackle long-term fiscal challenges.…
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Thai flight cuts lead to 10% drop in outbound travel
Flight cancellations and capacity reductions are expected to push outbound trips down by 15 to 20% during the low season, with a 10% decline projected across the full year. Several Thai carriers have trimmed their schedules on specific routes. Thai AirAsia X has pulled back on its Bangkok to Sapporo service, while Thai AirAsia has reduced flights to China for…
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Thai Airways cuts May flights across Asia, Europe
Thai Airways has reduced flight frequencies across domestic, Asian and European routes for May in response to weaker tourism demand and high fuel costs. The schedule, reported as of yesterday, April 16, affects key routes from May 1 onwards, with some reductions lasting until the end of the month. On domestic routes, flights to Khon Kaen will be reduced from…
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Japan pledges US$10 billion to tackle energy crisis in Asia
Japan pledged US$10 billion, or around 300 billion baht, to support Asian countries in addressing the energy crisis, citing the close links and interdependence created by supply chains. After a meeting with leaders from Asian countries, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae announced that the funding would be directed to countries in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia, to help secure crude…
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Jet fuel costs force Korean budget airlines to cut Thai flights
South Korean budget airlines are cutting and suspending flights to Thailand as rising jet fuel costs, worsened by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, squeeze low-cost carriers on the route. T’way Air announced via Facebook that its daily service between Suvarnabhumi and Incheon airports will continue only until May 9, after which it will be reduced to twice weekly…
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Thai economy braces for stagflation amid Iran war: How real estate must pivot to survive
The secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), Danucha Pichayanan, said that the prolonged conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz for over a month had significantly impacted global energy market confidence. Iran has proposed negotiation conditions, such as the withdrawal of US military bases from the Middle East. This marks an initial stance for…
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Oil firms deny plans to sue government over diesel price controls
Two oil refineries denied legal action against the Thai government after the Ministry of Energy ordered a reduction in the diesel refining fee to lower retail prices during the ongoing energy crisis. Energy Minister Akanat Promphan announced on April 7 that the refining margin for diesel types B7 and B20 would be cut by 2 baht. He added that retail…
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Agoda’s plan to make everything possible for its partners in 2026
Most people know Agoda as the app they use to book a hotel. What is less visible is the scale of what the company is building behind the scenes, a B2B partner ecosystem that powers travel for banks, airlines, retail platforms, and loyalty programmes across the globe. At a media roundtable held at Agoda’s new office in One Bangkok, two…
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Southeast Asia leans toward China over US, 2026 survey finds
A survey published by a Singaporean institute has found that a slim majority of respondents across Southeast Asia would align with China over the United States if forced to choose between the two powers. The poll, conducted between January 5 and February 20, 2026, covered 2,008 respondents from all 11 ASEAN member states, including Timor-Leste, which joined the bloc in…
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AirAsia ticket prices rise 40% as fuel costs stay sky-high
AirAsia X is raising ticket prices by up to 40% as soaring jet fuel costs linked to the Middle Eastern conflict put fresh pressure on airlines across Asia. The carrier said yesterday, April 6, that higher oil prices had become its most serious challenge, with jet fuel costs doubling in recent weeks. The increase is forcing the long-haul low-cost airline…
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What is a refining margin, and why is it soaring during the Iran war?
Drivers are currently sweating over high gas station prices. A major cause is the conflict in Iran. Economic news often highlights rising refinery margins. The normal margin is two baht, but it recently exceeded 17 baht. Understanding the refinery margin is straightforward. A merchant buys oranges at a certain price to squeeze and sell bottled juice at a higher price.…
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Thailand’s digital entertainment shift raises questions about user trends
Thailand’s digital landscape is changing rapidly, with more users spending time on online platforms for entertainment, information, and everyday convenience. As discussions around entertainment complexes and digital regulation continue, attention is also turning to how people engage with different types of online content, including interactive formats that are growing quietly in popularity. A Growing Appetite for Digital Platforms Over the…
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Thailand crypto betting changes under the pressure of enforcing, and Solana payments have become the focus
Online betting is a legal grey area in Thailand, but the government is on the hunt to prevent illegal gambling rings and offshore betting in 2026. More recent efforts to crack down have focused on mass-scale digital interference, including blocking hundreds of thousands of gambling-related URLs and takedowns of online gambling networks. The Thai government has also improved its cooperation…
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Thailand freezes fares, offers fuel subsidies after 6-baht pump price shock
The Ministry of Transport has introduced targeted fuel subsidies for four specific transport groups from April 1 to 30, 2026. At the same time, it is freezing public transport fares to ensure affordable travel during the Songkran festival. The move follows a sharp retail fuel price hike of 6 baht per liter on March 26, 2026, by the Fuel Fund…
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SCB X CEO warns Thailand’s economy is ‘melting’ and cash handouts won’t fix it
Arthid Nanthawithaya, Chief Executive Officer of SCB X, has issued a warning regarding the current state of the Thai economy. He noted that the present crisis differs significantly from past events like the 1997 financial crash. Moreover, he emphasized that the current volatility is not a temporary phase. Instead, it is a permanent shift that will become more frequent and…
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Rights holder accuses Thai publisher of unlicensed comics sales
Tong Li Publishing Co., Ltd issued a Thai-language statement today, March 26, alleging that Thailand-based publisher BURAPAT COMICS has been printing, distributing and selling the comic Hongsa Chom Rachan without legal authorisation. Hongsa Chom Rachan is the Thai release of The Ravages of Time, a Chinese-language historical comic series from Hong Kong set in the Three Kingdoms era that has…
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How Thailand’s construction industry is turning to ERP systems for control, transparency, and scale
Thailand’s construction industry is entering a decisive phase of transformation. With large-scale infrastructure projects accelerating across the country, particularly under initiatives such as the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), contractors are facing increasing pressure to deliver projects faster, more efficiently, and with tighter cost control. This shift is not only about scale. It is about complexity. Modern construction projects involve multiple…
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Business class flights to Thailand in 2026: Best routes, airlines, and what’s changed
For U.S. travellers heading to Thailand, business class in 2026 still means a one-stop journey, and that makes the routing decision almost as important as the cabin itself. With no nonstop business class flights to Thailand currently available, the quality of the trip depends not only on the airline but also on the connection city, total travel time, and how…
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FUSO Thailand reshapes organisational structure with new CEO and CFO appointments, accelerating full-force commercial vehicle strategy
FUSO Commercial Vehicles (Thailand) Ltd. (FCVT) has announced a significant corporate restructuring, adjusting its reporting line directly to the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) in Japan. The company has appointed two Thai senior executives: Jakkrapong Santirat as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Thitipol Wongthanakul as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), to drive the FUSO brand strategy in Thailand’s commercial vehicle…
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HKTDC launches GreenBiz HK campaign in Bangkok
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) organised the GreenBiz HK campaign in Bangkok, comprising a GreenBiz HK Forum with dedicated thematic sessions, networking events and business matching meetings, alongside a Hong Kong Green Team delegation. The campaign aims to foster collaboration between Hong Kong and Thailand in the green economy. One of the highlights, the GreenBiz HK Forum, was…
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UAE property market slows sharply as deals fall 51% month on month
Property transactions in the UAE have slowed sharply since the latest conflict in the Middle East began, according to investment bank Goldman Sachs, which said rising regional uncertainty is starting to weigh directly on homebuyer demand. The war is now entering its third week and has increased volatility across financial and energy assets in the region. Goldman Sachs analysts, led…
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AEROTHAI says 1,000+ Middle East flights to Thailand cancelled
More than 1,000 flights to Thailand have been cancelled by airlines from the Middle East since February 28, according to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI), as the regional conflict continues to affect traffic through Thai airspace. Surachai Nuprom, AEROTHAI’s deputy executive director and acting executive director, said today, March 18, that the impact on flight volumes in Thailand has become…
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YouTube removes AI crypto scam ad impersonating Bitkub CEO
YouTube has removed a scam advertisement from its platform after it was found to use deepfake technology to impersonate a company executive and persuade viewers to invest in cryptocurrency. In a statement, YouTube said its misleading content policies prohibit impersonating public figures for the purpose of deceiving people, including false claims of endorsement or association with a public figure. The…
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Thai aviation industry costs rise as AAT seeks government relief
The Airline Association of Thailand (AAT) has met executives from six member airlines to discuss rising cost pressures on the Thai aviation industry, as it prepares to ask the government for urgent relief measures. The AAT said it recently convened a meeting with top management from its member airlines: Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, Nok Air, Thai Lion…
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Mobile vs desktop login: common problems and quick fixes
Brands relying on digital platforms are always trying to improve the integration between desktop and mobile devices. Ideally, users should experience seamless navigation in both options, but not only so. One’s input must be immediately updated in the other, which is technologically trickier than it seems. It goes for actions, exchanged information, layouts, and logins. However, the mobile and desktop…
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PTT fuel supply sufficient nationwide, OR CEO says
PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (OR) has said fuel supplies remain sufficient at more than 2,400 PTT service stations nationwide, despite concerns linked to the prolonged unrest in the Middle East. In a Facebook post on March 15, OR Chief Executive M.L. Peakthong Thongyai said the company is closely monitoring the situation and working to ensure the…
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Thailand says fuel reserves sufficient amid global oil concerns
Thailand is unlikely to face a fuel shortage despite global uncertainties, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today, March 15, urging the public to conserve energy while reassuring that oil supplies remain stable. Speaking at the House of Parliament, Anutin said Thailand would maintain oil sales to Laos, adding that the country is not facing any immediate fuel shortages. He said…
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