Archive

SME guarantee fees and loan instalments in Nan province paused for 3 months after floods Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

SME Guarantee Corporation (บสย.) has automatically paused guarantee fees and management charges for 3 months for SMEs with BSG-guaranteed loans in Nan province whose fees fall due 18 August to 17 September 2569. Debtors whose claims BSG has paid and who are on restructuring plans can also pause principal and interest for 3 months, provided they are not in default. If your business is in Nan and has a BSG-backed loan, check whether your payment dates fall in that window. Call 0-2890-9999 or contact your district office to confirm.

Civil service exam fraud probe widens, with 1 billion baht in linked transactions Bangkok Post · Aug 20, 2026

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has traced over 1 billion baht in transactions to a 2021 Pattaya local government recruitment exam fraud and is merging the cases. Investigators aim for clear conclusions within six months from June. The Deputy Interior Minister has told local authorities to finish reviews of 5,925 flagged people by the end of this month. For a private SME owner this is background: it concerns local civil servants and does not change your costs, permits or lending. Only relevant if you deal regularly with local government offices, where staffing may shift.

GSB cuts interest for teachers' cooperative loans to 3.5–4% until end-2027 — register by 31 October The Standard Wealth · Aug 20, 2026

Government Savings Bank and the Teachers' Welfare Fund (สกสค.) cut rates on teacher cooperative loans (ช.พ.ค./ช.พ.ส.): 3.5% for regular borrowers and 4% for irregular-payment or NPL borrowers, down from about 6–7%, running through end-2027 (2570 BE). Registration is open now via MyMo, GSB website or branches until 31 October 2569 (2026). Relevant only if you or your staff are teachers or education-sector members with these loans. Borrowers who restart regular payments for 3 months by end-2569 (2026) get the 3.5% rate. Paying the rate difference toward principal can shorten loan terms substantially. Non-members must rejoin first and register by 30 November 2569 (2026).

Why incoming duty-free was scrapped, and what it could mean for shops outside airports Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

Incoming duty-free shops at airports were cancelled from 1 August 2024 after a November 2023 cabinet resolution aimed at moving tourist spending from airports into city retail, community shops and tourism services. AOT is now studying a possible return, and the Fiscal Policy Office has approved the principle. The article gives no decision date. For a small shop or tour operator, the practical point is that tourist spending is being pushed toward ordinary retailers. Watch for any AOT or Customs announcement before changing stock or pricing.

LINE MAN and Grab push health features; pharmacies can now reach customers via Telepharmacy Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

LINE MAN is one of the first 7 platforms certified under the Thai FDA's Telepharmacy rules, in force since 22 June 2026. Pharmacies on LINE MAN MART chat with licensed pharmacists and get delivery within 15 km. Platforms charge a 9% commission for the first 30 days. Pharmacists must work on-site, and the platform checks their identity and GPS location. The article claims some pharmacies saw sales rise by tens of percent, but gives no independent figures. If you run a licensed pharmacy, check whether joining makes sense. Grab's Nutrition Tag and LINE MAN's nutrition feature are still in testing.

Southern black glutinous rice prices jump to 60-70 baht/kg as millers eye Vietnam imports Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

Southern black glutinous rice (ลืมผัว variety) has run short for traders and kanom producers. Prices rose from about 37-38 to 60-70 baht/kg. Vietnamese imports land at roughly 42-44 baht/kg wholesale and 55 baht/kg retail, versus 27-28 baht for white glutinous rice. Imports face 30-32% duty within a quota of about 900 tonnes per trader, and 60% above it. Transport via Laos and Cambodia is costly and was disrupted by border closures. Still at proposal stage in Phatthalung; no decision yet. If you use black glutinous rice, check supply and pricing now and consider sourcing alternatives or forward contracts.

EXIM Bank extends loan repayment for Nan flood-hit businesses Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

EXIM Bank says it is helping customers affected by the Nan floods with relief case by case. Options include extending repayment on revolving credit lines, extending instalment periods, and extending repayment on long-term loans. If your business in Nan or a flood-hit area borrows from EXIM Bank, contact the bank directly to ask which relief fits your situation. The article gives no deadline, eligibility criteria, or application process.

Nan flood risk returns Sunday, 23 August, so check stock and access routes now Bangkok Post · Aug 20, 2026

Heavy rain forecast for Sunday 23 August could hit Nan and parts of the lower North again. Soil is already saturated, so landslide and flash-flood risk is high in upper areas. Two people died this week and districts including Pua, Muang and Wiang Sa were flooded. If you have a branch, warehouse, delivery route or supplier in Nan or the lower North, move stock off low ground, plan alternative routes, and keep staff informed. Forecasts will be updated daily.

BAAC opens 0% six-month emergency loans of up to 50,000 baht for flood-hit farmers in Nan Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

After flash floods in Nan province, BAAC (Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives) is offering flood-affected farm customers emergency loans of up to 50,000 baht at 0% interest for the first 6 months, then MRR per year. A separate recovery loan of up to 500,000 baht at MRR-2 (repayable within 15 years) covers repairing homes, farm buildings and equipment, and restarting production. Apply from the customer's BAAC branch from now on, or call the BAAC Contact Center on 02 555 0555 (24 hours). This matters if you have farm clients or suppliers in Nan, or if your business is in an affected area. Current MRR is quoted at 6.575%.

India's exports to ASEAN jumped 61.6% in Q2 2026, mostly on oil prices, not trade deal gains Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

India's exports to ASEAN rose 61.6% in Q2 2026 to US$14.6bn, with Singapore up 101.2% and Malaysia up 75.2%. Analysts say most of the jump comes from petroleum products such as diesel and jet fuel, and excluding those lines the growth was about 27.4%. Most Indian exports did not use AITIGA tariff benefits because ASEAN tariffs were already at or near 0%. The AITIGA review, which missed its 2025 deadline, is still under negotiation. For a Thai SME, this is background on regional trade and fuel-driven price swings, with no immediate action needed.

The US Treasury will buy back at least twice its prior volume of 10- to 30-year government bonds, from 9 September to 4 November, to hold long-term yields down. The 30-year yield fell up to 10 basis points to 5.18%. For a Thai SME this is indirect: US long-term rates feed global borrowing costs and the dollar, which can move the baht and import costs. No action is needed yet; watch the baht and your USD-linked loan or import pricing over the coming months.

Nan flood: Commerce ministry orders no price gouging or hoarding of essentials in flood-hit provinces Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

Flash floods and mudslides in Nan affected about 4,500 households, with Pua, Phu Phiang and Mueang Nan hardest hit. The Commerce Ministry has ordered provincial commerce offices to monitor the supply and prices of drinking water, dry food and daily consumer goods, and told traders not to raise prices, hoard, or refuse sales. Businesses in the north should check stock levels and keep prices at normal. Watch for reports from Phayao, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phrae and other provinces on the watch list, since flash-flood alerts cover many northern and northeastern areas.

TH-AI Passport opens with free AI tools, but its limits make it a weak substitute for paid chatbots The Standard Wealth · Aug 20, 2026

The government's TH-AI Passport opened registration on 19 August, with about 700,000 sign-ups on day one, and the full launch is set for 31 August. The free tier gives unlimited chat on a low-end model, while the Creator tier gets 10,000 credits a day (roughly 20-50 chats). An IMC Institute expert says it will not replace paid AI subscriptions such as ChatGPT Plus, so the promised savings of about 600 baht a month are unlikely. Before relying on it, check the data-processing terms: the user agreement allows personal data to be processed overseas. For an SME, treat it as a free trial for staff training, not a cost cut on existing AI tools.

Thai gold prices jump 1,450 baht: jewellery gold now 70,550 baht per baht-weight Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

Gold rose 1,450 baht versus yesterday's close as of 14:36 on 20 Aug 2026. Bar gold buys at 69,550 and sells at 69,750 baht per baht-weight; jewellery buys at 68,159.36 and sells at 70,550. Gold spot is US$4,491/oz. Analysts cite a weaker dollar and a US Treasury buyback expansion, while Brent and WTI oil face upside risk from Middle East tensions. Gold shops reprice several times a day, so check the current round before quoting prices or buying stock. The spread between buy and sell prices is wide on jewellery, so factor it into any pricing or stock decisions.

Nan flooding eases but more rain due 23 August; 40,000 households without power until 21 August Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

Flooding in Nan province has stabilised after 388 mm of rain in 24 hours, affecting over 12,900 households. Another heavy rain spell is forecast from 23 August, with 50-70 mm expected in the upper Nan basin. The Provincial Electricity Authority says power for about 40,000 affected households should return to normal by 21 August. If you have a branch, warehouse or supplier in Nan or downstream areas, check stock, transport routes and delivery schedules now. The government also plans to review about 700 water projects after the floods recede.

YouTube now permanently cuts off monetisation for mass-produced AI content, so check your channel's compliance Thumbsup · Aug 20, 2026

YouTube is tightening monetisation rules against low-quality "AI slop". The strictest penalty is permanent loss of the right to earn revenue. Three groups are targeted: mass-produced or templated videos with little original input, manipulative or negative content designed to provoke viewers, and AI personas posing as experts in finance, investment, legal, or health topics. If your Thai business or its content channel publishes videos this way, review your uploads now. Advertiser brand-safety concerns are the underlying driver, so this also affects the ad revenue you can expect from the platform.

The Finance Minister has asked Government Savings Bank (GSB) to prepare a way to accept daily and monthly sales summaries from the Nok Krasib AI bookkeeping tool on the Thung Ngern app as loan evidence, in place of bank statements. GSB asks people to wait; details will be discussed later, and Krungthai manages the app data. The credit line will come from GSB's own funds, not the 400-billion-baht energy decree. Separately, the EV loan line has been raised to 10 billion baht; the first 5 billion is fully allocated (500 million per operator) and the same conditions apply. If you sell small-scale and keep sales records in the app, start keeping them tidy, but there is no confirmed loan process yet. Charging equipment may depend on each lender's terms.

Teachers' GSB loans cut to 3.5–4%, sign-up closes 31 October Prachachat · Aug 20, 2026

Government Savings Bank and the Ministry of Education cut interest on loans for teachers and education staff from the usual 6–7% to 3.5% for regular payers, and 4% for irregular payers or NPLs who return to regular payment within 3 months. Registration runs now to 31 October via the MyMo app or branches, and borrowers must join the ช.พ.ค. cooperative by 30 November. Relevant mainly if you or your staff are teachers with GSB loans; otherwise it is background only.

Attacks in the Black Sea region are tightening global wheat supply, so flour and bakery input costs may rise. Check your wheat-based supplier prices before the next order cycle.

Bank of Thailand says system NPL ratio eased to 2.82% in Q2 2026 (from 2.85%), but mainly because banks sold off bad debt, including SME and mortgage loans. NPL flows from Stage 2 are rising, and re-defaults are increasing among fragile borrowers. Personal loans (2.81%) and hire-purchase (2.05%) NPLs are up. If the war hurts harder, the BoT has prepared temporary, looser rules so banks can cut instalments more deeply. SME owners should expect tighter credit checks and should use the SMEs Credit Boost, Secure+ and pre-emptive restructuring schemes early if cash flow is strained.