Archive

Thailand wastes 12 billion kg of food a year, and 40% of it is still edible: reframing it as surplus food can cut your disposal costs The Story Thailand · Sep 4, 2026

Thailand produces about 12 billion kg of food waste a year, and roughly 40% of it is still edible. SOS Thailand argues businesses should treat unsold food as "surplus food" to be redistributed, sold or used for feed, compost or energy before landfill. For a restaurant, hotel or shop, unsold food costs staff time, bin bags and disposal fees, so planning portions and passing on leftovers or near-date stock can cut that cost. The article is a seminar-level pitch with no new rules or pricing, so treat it as a prompt to review your own waste, not a deadline.

Bank of Thailand to license BNPL lenders; hearing in September, rules due Q4 The Standard Wealth · Sep 3, 2026

The Bank of Thailand says it will regulate Buy Now Pay Later credit, with a public hearing expected by end-September and new licensing rules expected to take effect in Q4. Providers will need a licence before they can operate. If your shop offers BNPL at checkout or relies on it for sales, check which provider you use and whether it will be licensed. The central bank also plans to bring in the roughly 3,600 non-bank lenders, which hold 55% of credit volume. Policy rate is 1.00%, with GDP growth forecast at 2.3% this year.

Bank of Thailand backs gold trade reporting and a possible gold tax to curb money laundering The Standard Wealth · Sep 3, 2026

BoT Governor Vittai Ratanakorn said he agrees in principle with a business tax specific to gold and with reporting gold trades. The aim is to trace illegal money flows. Gold shops will likely face online trade reporting for transactions of 10 million baht or more. The BoT already requires cash deposits and withdrawals over 5 million baht to state their purpose and source, and money changers are capped at buying 800,000 baht of foreign currency per customer per day. No tax rate or start date was given. Gold shop owners should keep clear records of customer ID and source of funds for large sales, and watch for rules coming in.

Thai auto parts makers warn SMEs are being left behind as BOI support shrinks Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

Thai Summit's Chanaporn Rungruengkit argues Thai-owned part makers are losing ground: Thai firms' share of BOI investment promotion fell from 41% to 25%, and auto SME special-support projects dropped from 14 in 2024 to 1 in 2025. She says Indonesia and Vietnam are pressing Thailand's production base and that local suppliers face price pressure from few buyers. If you supply auto makers or Tier-2 parts, expect tighter pricing and check whether you qualify for any remaining SME support programmes.

Bank of Thailand to license buy-now-pay-later from Q4, tightening non-bank lending Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The Bank of Thailand plans to bring buy-now-pay-later providers under a licence regime, treated like personal loans, with a hearing on rules due at end-September and rules expected in Q4. Rules may cover customer age, credit limits and interest rates (cited 15-20%). Non-bank lenders also face closer scrutiny. Cash withdrawals of 5 million baht or more get checked, and gold app sales over 10 million baht are reported. If your business offers BNPL to customers, or relies on non-bank credit or gold trading, check how the new licence and reporting rules could affect your payments and financing.

Japan's currency chief says he is still watching yen moves closely and is not reassured. Only indirect relevance for Thai SMEs; watch the baht only if yen volatility spills into regional currency markets.

BoT says policy rate at 1% is appropriate and growth is 2.3%, but SME lending is still slow Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The BoT governor said the policy rate of 1% is appropriate and that the central bank still has tools (including a further cut to the policy rate to 0.5% if needed) for emergencies. Thai GDP growth is forecast at about 2.3% for 2026, below the estimated potential of 2.7%. The BoT acknowledged SME borrowing costs are high and banks are favouring large corporates, so SME loan growth is lagging. Rate cuts help borrowers in general, but targeted help for SMEs will have to come from fiscal measures. Policy effects take about 8-12 months to show, so do not expect quick relief from rates alone.

Thailand's data centre rules are being redrawn, with the first board meeting on 4 Sep Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas will chair a new data centre policy board, first meeting 4 Sep 2026. Aim: close legal loopholes that let some operators build without permission, and set rules on energy, city planning and environmental and social impact. BOI stopped approving new data centres in April. The board will report to the cabinet. For most SMEs this is background, but if you supply power, construction, land or cooling services to data centres, expect new permit requirements.

Royal river procession rehearsals hit Chao Phraya on 6 November, with tourist viewing spots and riverside restaurants in the spotlight Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The PM inspected the fourth rehearsal of the royal river procession on the Chao Phraya, with the main ceremony set for 6 November. More rehearsals are planned before then. Riverside restaurants, cafés and temples along the route are expected to see extra visitors, and the government says the area will be tightly secured. If your shop or tour is near the route, plan for crowds, road and river closures, and possible price scrutiny around that date.

SEC plans 5-million-baht daily cap on stablecoin transfers and bans transfers from other people's wallets Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The SEC is proposing caps of 5 million baht per day for stablecoin transfers into and out of customer accounts at licensed digital asset operators, and wallets must be verified as belonging to the customer. Transfers between accounts inside Thai licensed platforms are not capped but need Travel Rule compliance. This matters if your business receives or pays crypto or USDT. Public comment opens in September 2026, so check whether your payment or supplier flows use stablecoins and prepare for verification steps.

PM to chair first meeting of data centre policy board on 4 Sept to set tighter controls Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The Prime Minister will chair the first meeting of the data centre policy committee on 4 September (08:30, Government House) after reports of data centres being secretly installed in several areas, which has worried residents. The article gives no concrete rules yet; the PM said only that the committee has been formed and all roles are known. If your business hosts, buys or relies on data-centre capacity, or is located near a site, expect tighter permits or controls later, but no action is required from you yet.

Bangkok to inspect every data center for unlicensed fuel storage, with up to 2 years' jail for violators The Standard Wealth · Sep 3, 2026

The Energy Minister said officials found storage tanks holding over 150,000 litres of fuel at Bangkok data centres without permits, and police complaints have been filed. Inspections of all Bangkok data centres are coming, with up to 2 years' jail for unlicensed operation. A cabinet resolution from 5 August also set up a Data Center committee under the Finance Minister. The inspections are expected to take months. For most SMEs this only matters if you run or supply fuel storage or backup power for a data center; otherwise it is background.

Pattaya businesses get a short low-season boost as 5,000 US sailors arrive for five days Bangkok Post · Sep 3, 2026

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group docked at Laem Chabang and about 5,000 sailors have five days of shore leave in Pattaya, a quiet low season. Bus, taxi and tailoring operators report higher demand, and some sailors have chartered drivers for three to four days. If you run a restaurant, bar, transport, tailoring, massage or hotel business in Pattaya, this is a short-term window: plan extra staff and stock for the next few days, and note that the visit ends when the ships sail on Sunday.

SET proposes tougher rules for listed firms that miss audit or independent directors The Standard Wealth · Sep 3, 2026

The SET is consulting on four draft rules for listed companies (บจ.). Missing independent directors would get the same CC and SP warning signs as missing audit committee members, and the delisting timeline could shorten from 2 years to 1. Head of internal audit would need a formal certificate and 5 years' experience, or 3 years in internal control. Relevant mainly if you run or advise a listed company. Hearing closes 7 August 2026.

Kamphaeng Phet school shooting: student charged, school closed two days for safety checks Bangkok Post · Sep 3, 2026

A 14-year-old Grade 9 student fired eight shots at Wachiraprakarn Wittayakom School in Kamphaeng Phet on Wednesday, using his police father's pistol. He faces premeditated attempted murder and illegal firearm charges. Onsite classes are suspended Thursday and Friday while safety measures are revised, and many other schools have tightened security or run active-shooter drills. For a business owner, the practical point is that school-area safety and firearm storage at home are under scrutiny, and the parents of students may be more cautious about routines and access near campuses.

Bangkok data centre crackdown: unlicensed fuel tanks now face prosecution Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The Energy Ministry is inspecting data centres across Bangkok after finding oil tanks holding over 150,000 litres without permits; police complaints have been filed. Ministers say all Data Centers will be checked, with unlicensed operations facing prosecution (up to 2 years' jail). A Cabinet-appointed committee will reorganise rules, and existing laws will be enforced until new ones arrive. Checks may take months. For most SMEs this is not a direct change, but if you store fuel on site, supply or host IT equipment for data centres, or do construction or permit work for them, check your fuel-storage and permit paperwork now.

Thai Tiew Thai Plus to switch room aid to a fixed baht cap, and service businesses get included The Standard Wealth · Sep 3, 2026

The Finance Permanent Secretary says the next Thai Tiew Thai Plus will replace the percentage room subsidy (e.g. 30%) with a fixed baht amount per room, example 1,000 baht, to stop hotels raising prices to capture the subsidy. Guests pay any difference above the cap. The programme will also shift more money toward daily spending through the system and open it to service operators, such as shops and services, which were excluded from the earlier scheme. Budget is expected above 2,000 million baht from the 400,000-million-baht loan decree. Amounts, number of rights and nights are still pending the Ministry of Tourism and Sports proposal. The target start is 1 October 2026, subject to cabinet approval. Small operators in tourism-linked services should watch for eligibility rules and prepare to register.

Government to expropriate 5,338 rai for Nakhon Pathom–Pak Thong Chai motorway, construction from 2028 Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The Highway Department plans to submit the M8 Nakhon Pathom–Pak Thong Chai motorway (about 61 km, 61,154 million baht total) to the transport ministry by September 2026, then to cabinet later this year, with a land expropriation decree to follow. Construction is planned over 2028–2032 in two phases; phase 1 (Nakhon Pathom–Talat Jinda, 9.3 km) is funded from the motorway fee fund, and phase 2 is expected to use TFFIF. Land is affected in Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Ratchaburi. If your shop, warehouse or land sits along the route or near the Rama 2 interchanges at Ban Phaeo and Pak Thong Chai, check your land title and plan for possible compensation and changed traffic flow over the coming years.

Thai rice prices are up 19% for white rice, with China and Malaysia as new outlets while Iraq stays blocked Prachachat · Sep 3, 2026

The commerce ministry expects Thailand to ship 7 million tonnes of rice this year; 3.9 million tonnes went out in the first seven months. Export white rice (5%) averages US$467/tonne, up 19% year on year, and domestic jasmine rice is about 17,500 baht/tonne. Iraq, which normally takes about 1 million tonnes, is hard to reach because of shipping limits, so exporters are shifting to Malaysia (over 700,000 tonnes expected) and Africa. A 500,000-tonne G2G deal with China is signed, with about 40,000 tonnes delivered. Private exporters warn white rice faces tough competition from India and Vietnam, and El Niño could shift supply and prices next year. For rice millers and traders, plan for firm prices through the main harvest (Nov to Mar), and watch freight costs and new market routes.

Asian buyers are shifting wheat purchases to Australia and Argentina because Black Sea supply is disrupted. Wheat-based costs such as bread, noodles and animal feed could move, so watch flour and feed prices from your suppliers.