Archive

Apple releases security updates for iPhone and Mac; update devices this week Blognone · Aug 18, 2026

Apple released iOS 26.6.1, iPadOS 26.6.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 fixing about 30 security vulnerabilities, including flaws that could expose personal data, image-file bugs, kernel and WebKit issues. Apple reports no known attacks so far, but recommends updating. If your shop, POS, or staff work on iPhones, iPads or Macs, install the update now and restart. Older devices got iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10.

YouTube changes how public view counts are counted from 24 August 2026 Blognone · Aug 18, 2026

From 24 August 2026, YouTube counts a view from the first second of playback, for regular videos, Shorts and Live, with no minimum watch time. Views before that date keep the old method. Public view counts will rise and not be comparable with older numbers. Engaged views remain in YouTube Analytics and still drive Partner Program payouts, so payment figures do not change. If you use view counts to show brands or partners what your channel delivers, check your numbers after the switch and report engaged views alongside them.

Cabinet to weigh a home-worker protection bill and new reservoir funding this week Prachachat · Aug 18, 2026

Cabinet meets this week chaired by Deputy PM Pipat, with PM Anutin abroad 17–22 Aug. Agenda includes a draft Home-Based Workers Protection Act sent by the Labour Ministry (already reviewed by the Council of State), a draft Maritime Labour Act, reservoir projects in Rayong and Chachoengsao, and changes to the 2027 (BE 2570) budget. If you use home-based piece-rate workers, start checking what duties they would bring. The bills still have to pass Cabinet and then Parliament, so nothing changes for you yet.

Heavy rain forecast for the Northeast and East today; Bangkok 60% chance of storms Prachachat · Aug 18, 2026

The Meteorological Department forecasts heavy rain in parts of the Northeast and East over the next 24 hours, with flash floods and overflowing streams possible in low-lying and foothill areas. Bangkok and vicinity have a 60% chance of thunderstorms today. Seas are about 2 metres high in storm areas, so boats and marine operators should take care and avoid storm zones. If your business is in those areas, plan for possible delivery delays, flooding of stock, and reduced foot traffic on the day.

Diesel and gasohol prices at Bangchak stations on 18 Aug 2026: B20 at 32.54 baht, B7 at 37.54 baht per litre Prachachat · Aug 18, 2026

Bangchak posted today's pump prices: B20 diesel 32.54 baht/litre, B7 diesel 37.54 baht, gasohol 95 36.84 baht, gasohol 91 36.47 baht, E20 31.84 baht, E85 27.78 baht. Prices exclude the Bangkok local land tax. Tomorrow's prices take effect at 05:00, so check your fuel budget and the station price before filling fleet vehicles or delivery trucks. Prices quoted are from one brand and should be verified at the station.

Censure debate on Senate election looms, not a near-term business change Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

Prime Minister Anutin says ministers are ready for a no-confidence debate, which the opposition plans to lodge when parliament reopens on Aug 25. The debate is likely in the fourth quarter, after the 2027 budget bill is considered in September. The dispute is about Senate election allegations, not a policy change. For a small business owner, the only practical signal is political noise ahead of the budget; no action is needed now beyond watching whether the 2027 budget or any cabinet reshuffle changes spending or rules that affect your sector.

NESDC warns of export slowdown and rate-cut limits as US trade talks drag on Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

NESDC chairman Supavud Saicheua warns growth in the second half of the year depends on US trade talks, since exports to the US are about 25% of Thai exports (12-14% of GDP). A sharp export slowdown could push the government toward more stimulus and borrowing, raising the risk of a credit-rating downgrade next year. Higher energy costs and inflation also leave the Bank of Thailand less room to cut rates. For an SME, this means planning for softer export orders and keeping borrowing costs and cash buffers under review rather than assuming cheap credit.

Q2 growth slows to 1.9% as oil shock pushes inflation to 2.7% and squeezes household spending Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

Thailand's GDP grew 1.9% in Q2 2026, down from 2.8% in Q1, close to the Finance Ministry's earlier forecast. The Middle East conflict drove up energy and goods prices: inflation rose to 2.7% from -0.5% and private consumption slowed to 1.9% from 3.3%. The current-account deficit reached US$17.6 billion. The government is still running the Thais Help Thais Plus relief programme, with the next phase to be decided after the first phase ends in Q3. For a small business, expect weaker customer purchasing power and higher input costs into the final quarter; plan cash flow and pricing conservatively.

US-Thailand trade talks push for a reciprocal trade deal, with Thai minister visiting Washington 30 Aug to 1 Sept Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

Thailand and the US are pushing toward a US-Thailand Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART). Commerce Minister Suphajee visits the US from Aug 30 to Sept 1 to advance talks. The US wants to narrow its deficit with Thailand, pointing to more Thai imports of US energy, corn, soybeans, machinery and farm inputs. Exporters of seafood, rubber, auto parts and electronics should watch for tariff or market-access changes, but no terms have been announced yet. Nothing changes for your business this month beyond keeping an eye on the outcome.

Civil exam fraud probe widens to brokers and officials, with 5,925 candidates under review Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

Police have charged senior officials over alleged score-tampering in local government recruitment exams, and the probe now covers brokers. Officials named 5,925 candidates with irregular scores; being on the list does not by itself mean fraud. Candidates left off the revised list can request a score review from Aug 13-31, and provincial committees meet Aug 21. Most relevant to SMEs only if they employ people recruited through these local government exams or do business with local authorities, which may see staffing delays.

NESDC raises 2026 growth forecast to 2.0-2.5%, with tourism and private investment stronger Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

The planning agency (NESDC) now expects 2026 GDP growth of 2.0-2.5%, up from 1.5-2.5%. Q2 growth was 1.9%, below Q1's 2.8%. Tourism revenue is forecast at 1.65 trillion baht, with 32 million visitors and spending of 53,000 baht per trip. Inflation is expected at 1.5-2.0%. Oil imports jumped 117% as firms stocked up, pushing the current account into a deficit. Household consumption is forecast to grow only 2.6%. For a small business, the tourism upside supports planning for demand, while fuel and oil-cost pressure is still a risk to margins.

Proposed gold trading tax could hit Thai gold shops; traders lobby Finance Ministry for exemption Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

The Finance Ministry is considering a tax on gold trading, which the Bank of Thailand proposed to curb baht volatility against the US dollar. The Gold Traders Association will meet Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas later this month to seek an exemption. Thailand abolished a gold trading tax in 1997. Gold shops and dealers should watch the outcome, since it could change trading costs. The central bank already caps retail online gold trading settled in baht at 50 million baht per day, and traders are shifting to US dollar platforms such as SCB Gold Market Place.

Gold traders lobby Finance Ministry to block proposed gold trading tax Bangkok Post · Aug 18, 2026

The Bank of Thailand has asked the Finance Ministry to tax gold trading to curb baht volatility, and the Gold Traders Association will meet Finance Minister Ekniti later this month to seek an exemption. Thailand abolished a gold trading tax in 1997. Meanwhile the central bank already caps retail online gold trading settled in baht at 50 million baht a day, and SCB has launched USD-denominated gold trading on its SCB Easy app. If your business buys, sells or resells gold, or relies on gold-shop cash flow, watch for a decision on the tax and check how baht versus dollar settlement affects your pricing and payments.

GitHub outage hits users worldwide from the evening of 17 August 2026; most services recovering Blognone · Aug 17, 2026

GitHub had a global outage starting 20:40 Thai time on 17 August 2026, affecting the website, API, Actions, pull requests, and SAML/OIDC/SCIM sign-in plus Copilot. At the latest report, about 20% of API calls were still failing and repository downloads were affected at about 50%. If your team deploys code, runs automated builds, or relies on GitHub logins, check whether your work is blocked and delay non-urgent releases until the status page shows full recovery.

Thailand keeps its AI neutrality as US-China tech rivalry tightens Bangkok Post · Aug 17, 2026

PM Anutin says Thailand will stay neutral between the US and China on AI and will not link security cooperation or trade talks to picking sides. The US may exclude countries joining a China-backed AI supply-chain framework (Pax Silica) from a US-led coalition, but Thailand has not yet received that letter and the government has not decided whether to join. No action is needed for a small business now; watch for any link to US trade talks or tariffs that affect your exports.

DRAM prices still rising in Q3 2026, but more slowly, at 13-18% Blognone · Aug 17, 2026

TrendForce expects DRAM contract prices to rise about 13-18% in Q3 2026, down from the 30-45% rise in the previous quarter. Samsung and SK hynix may get up to 20%. HBM4 costs about double HBM3e (roughly $31-32/GB vs $17-18/GB), and big buyers often lock in long-term deals below visible spot prices. For a Thai SME buying PCs, servers or phones, memory-driven hardware price increases are still climbing, just more slowly. Delay non-urgent hardware purchases only if you can wait a quarter; don't expect prices to fall soon.

Dept of Business Development flags 36,277 foreign-linked companies holding Thai land, Chon Buri top, nominee checks coming The Standard Wealth · Aug 17, 2026

The Department of Business Development matched land-office data and found 36,277 Thai companies with foreign shareholders holding title deeds, concentrated in Bangkok, its vicinity and tourist provinces, with Chon Buri ranked highest. The department treats all of them as at-risk and will check them. Companies with foreign stakes of 49% or less are the focus, because nominee arrangements may sit behind them. Foreign-owned condos are still under review. If your business is a company with foreign shareholders that holds land or property, check your shareholding and funding records now. Penalties for nominee use include up to 3 years' jail or a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 baht, and land found to be illegally held by foreigners must be sold within 180 days.

Prachinburi groups push government to reverse EEC expansion over environmental fears Prachachat · Aug 17, 2026

On 17 August 2026, residents and the "Prachinburi Strong Network" rallied at the Prachinburi provincial hall against the province being brought into the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The cabinet's EEC policy committee approved the principle of including Prachinburi on 20 May 2026. The protesters want it reversed, citing threats to farming, eco-tourism, forests and water sources, and say the government promised on 30 June to review it without a clear answer since. For a Prachinburi or eastern-region SME, the EEC status is still undecided: watch for a cabinet decision on the province's inclusion, which would affect investment, land and industrial demand in the area.

TIS 24 rebar rule may ban induction-furnace steel: committee decides 18 Aug Prachachat · Aug 17, 2026

The Thai Industrial Standards Institute (สมอ.) takes its draft revision of TIS 24 (rebar) to the Industrial Standards Committee (กมอ.) on 18 Aug 2026. The key question is whether production must be limited to basic oxygen (BOF) and electric arc (EF) furnaces, which would exclude induction furnace (IF) steel. The draft also raises grades from 3 to 10, adds sizes up to DB50, and tightens fatigue, bend and chemistry tests. Rebar buyers, builders and contractors should watch the outcome for supply and price changes. Steel mills with IF lines face investment costs, and a Thai MP has called for tax support if they must switch, but no delay of the standard.

India is expected to import record soybean oil as war disrupts sunflower oil shipments; watch cooking oil prices if you buy edible oil in bulk.