Archive
August 15, 2026
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Toyota Thailand's deputy MD publicly questioned Thailand's competitiveness as an auto hub. Toyota says this is not a plan to move its main production out of Thailand. Indonesia is offering support to attract more Toyota investment and is building an EV and battery supply chain, with TMMIN and CATL planning battery and parts exports in the second half of 2026. For a Thai supplier, the practical signal is that competition is shifting from vehicle assembly to batteries, parts and skilled labour. Thai EV sales are growing, but the article notes that the country may be assembling imported batteries and parts rather than building local value. No immediate action is required, but suppliers should watch EV-related orders and parts localisation requirements.
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Commerce Ministry and Interior Ministry teams raided Koh Phangan, checking resorts, rental villas, a cannabis shop chain and a luxury villa for nominee arrangements. Thai directors and shareholders in several companies were questioned on how their investments were funded. Authorities say 104 companies holding 124 land plots in Surat Thani are being reviewed for land ownership. Nominees face up to 3 years' jail or a fine of 100,000-1,000,000 baht. Foreign-linked businesses should check that their Thai directors and shareholders can document the source of their investment and their real role in the company. Rental villas paid online from abroad were also flagged as possible tax avoidance.
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Bank of Thailand's southern office says the three Deep South border provinces are slowing: private consumption, industry and border trade are weakening, and border trade at Betong and Sungai Kolok is shrinking as Malaysian demand drops and transport costs rise. Rubber and durian drive the economy, and farmers' incomes are up slightly on higher rubber prices, but living costs keep spending weak. The Hat Yai–Sungai Kolok double-track rail and a link to Malaysia's ECRL are proposals from the chamber, not approved projects. For SMEs, the practical signal is to plan for flat local demand and look at expanding to Hat Yai, Phuket and Surat Thani, but no funding is available yet.
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Police and officials raided Koh Samui on Saturday, finding 60 cases of foreigners running businesses through Thai nominee shareholders, including unlicensed nurseries, luxury villas and firms set up to get work permits or business visas. 14 foreigners have been arrested and 88 suspects named, 26 of them Thai. This is the seventh phase of a wider campaign in tourist areas, so expect more checks. If your company has foreign shareholders, or you hold shares or land for someone else, review the structure, permits and tax filings. Thai nominees carry personal legal exposure.
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Agriculture Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit ordered the Royal Irrigation Department to rehabilitate two reservoirs in Nakhon Phanom (Huai Kan Lueang and Huai Si Khun) and to design a 17 km flood-and-drought project on Huai Hong Ho. Only about 20% of the province's area has irrigation access. The projects are still at survey, design or public-consultation stage, so no construction or cost impact is immediate. For Nakhon Phanom businesses, the near-term issue is flash-flood and flood risk from heavy rain forecast for 18-20 Aug 2026 in the North and Northeast. Plan stock, transport and delivery contingencies accordingly.
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On 14 Aug 2026 the Commerce Ministry visited Samphran (Nakhon Pathom) and ordered checks on coconut-water producers in Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and Ratchaburi. Officials will compare raw coconut use with the coconut water produced, from supplier to factory, and a dedicated team will be set up. The concern is that adulterated, cheap product is depressing farm-gate coconut prices. Industry says oversupply, weaker demand from Thailand, China and the Middle East conflict, and higher freight, labour and processing costs are also squeezing buyers, who are slowing purchases. If you buy or sell coconut or coconut water, expect tighter traceability checks and watch for price moves; no direct rule change for other businesses is announced yet.
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The national rice policy committee (นบข.) is still discussing extra aid for farmers covering management fees, cost cuts and productivity, with a conclusion expected soon. Five schemes already approved on 11 June 2026 are running for a target of 11.5 million tonnes of paddy: farm-storage loans with 1,500 baht/tonne storage support, loans to farmer institutions (3.5% interest subsidy), mill stock-holding loans (3% interest subsidy, 2-6 months), paddy absorption at 300 baht/tonne above market via the Warehouse Organisation, and a premium rice project. Total approved budget is 12,039.54 million baht, including an extra 1,000 baht/rai. For rice mills and traders, the stock-holding interest subsidy is the one to check against your storage plans.
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Cabinet approved a plan on 11 August 2026 to slow all new civil-service posts, abolish vacant posts, and cut about 30,000 positions to bring recurrent spending below 30% of the budget. Most Thai SMEs gain little directly, but government contracting, outsourcing (จ้างเหมาบริการ) and public-sector hiring may shift. Watch for the December reporting deadline on abolished posts and any changes to government procurement or service staffing.
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The US and Japan jointly intervened on 31 July to prop up the yen, which had nearly hit 164 per dollar, and it recovered to 155-157. By 11 August it had slid back to 159.39. Analysts say the gap between US and Japanese bond yields (10-year 4.686% vs 2.846%) still drives yen carry trades, and the Bank of Japan's September meeting is the key event. For a Thai business, the practical signal is that the yen may stay weak or volatile, which matters if you import from or pay in Japan, or compete with Japanese goods. Watch the September BOJ decision before changing pricing or currency hedges.
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The Highways Department opens the 25 km M82 motorway (Bang Khun Thian–Ekachai–Ban Phaeo) on 28 August 2026. From October it starts the elevated extension of Borommarat Chonnani Road (Phutthamonthon Sai 3–Sai 4, 4.63 km, 4.386 billion baht, due 2029), with traffic closed in phases. Road traffic on Borommarat Chonnani is about 265,982 vehicles a day. If your business is on or near this corridor, expect congestion and plan delivery routes via the alternatives (Phran Nok new road, Phutthamonthon Sai 4, Rama 2). The longer-term Pechkasem section (12.25 billion baht) is still under review, so it does not affect decisions this year.
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Microsoft is merging its consumer Copilot app and the business Microsoft 365 Copilot app into one app named simply "Copilot", with a new icon. Users can sign in with a personal or work account, and the data stays separate. Group Chat, Podcasts and Deep Research are removed from the new Copilot from 18 August 2026. If your staff use Copilot for work, check which account they sign in with and whether any of those three features are part of your workflow before that date.
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A House economic committee says Thai car plants are shrinking (Suzuki closure, Honda merging two plants into one) and that the EV investment promised local production that has not materialised. Tier 2-4 parts makers (seats, steering wheels, mirrors) are hit hardest, because Chinese EV makers bring their supply chains with them. For a Thai SME in automotive parts, this signals weaker demand from Japanese-brand plants and little near-term help from EV-linked incentives. Diversifying customers, and checking whether your products fit medical devices or other linked industries, is worth considering. This is a policy opinion, not a new rule.
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Morning gold prices on 15 Aug 2026 rose 400 baht versus the previous close. Gold jewellery sells at 69,550 baht per baht-weight and buys back at about 67,174; gold bars buy at 68,550 and sell at 68,750. World spot gold is about US$4,377 per ounce. If you sell or buy gold jewellery, or price gold-linked products, reprice against these numbers. Check the Gold Traders Association site for later announcements, since prices change through the day.
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A 26-year-old lawyer has asked the Central Administrative Court to remove NBTC chairman Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, who was ruled unqualified by a Senate selection committee on July 17. The NBTC board has failed to reach a quorum in its last five meetings, so regulatory decisions affecting telecom and broadcast users are delayed. Any decisions made under his chairmanship could be overturned later. For most small business owners, there is no action to take yet; watch for pending telecom or broadcast licence and policy decisions that may slip.
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A public hearing on the draft new TIS steel standard (มอก.เหล็กใหม่) is set for 17 August. The draft tightens standards for steel made in induction furnaces (IF), with debate over whether the rules will bar smaller producers or level the field. Steel-using and steel-trading SMEs should check the draft and the hearing notice, and submit comments if the rules affect their suppliers or products. The article is a industry-association view and does not give the draft's specific requirements.
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The state will not cancel or amend the 224,544-million-baht Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed rail contract, and CP's written request (dated 6 July 2026) to end it is stalled. The EEC board meeting has been postponed indefinitely, so no decision is expected soon. The Airport Rail Link operation by CP continues as normal until the MOU ends on 30 September. For a Thai SME, the practical impact is limited: expect delays in related eastern-corridor construction and subcontracting, not an immediate change in demand or costs.
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The BoT governor says it will step up supervision of non-bank lenders, payment, FX and AMC firms (over 3,000 licensed), moving from licensing to real inspection, with transaction reporting and caps to follow. BNPL rules are coming first, with clarity expected around October–November 2026. BNPL accounts grew to 4.91 million in 2024, and young, low-income users show the highest arrears. If your customers pay by instalment or you rely on non-bank credit or payment services, check your terms and expect tighter scrutiny and possibly new limits.
August 14, 2026
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Toyota and six Japanese carmakers are lobbying the government to equalise excise tax between locally built and imported EVs, mainly Chinese brands. Imported Chinese EVs currently pay about 8% excise, and the article says the Finance Ministry is moving to raise tax on imports, with a September target mentioned. Also flagged: the six Japanese makers are asking for a delay on the new hybrid tax. For SME owners in auto parts, dealerships, or EV-related trade, expect pricing and import-margin shifts; plan for possible changes to EV and hybrid pricing from around the third quarter rather than acting now.
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The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts heavy rain in places from 06:00 on 15 August to 06:00 the next day, with rain coverage of 40-60%. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in Chanthaburi and Trat in the East, and flash floods and runoff are possible in the North, Northeast and East. Seas in the upper Andaman are 2-3 m, and small boats there should stay in port. If you run deliveries, outdoor work or a farm, plan for delays and check on stock and vehicles near low-lying or hillside areas.
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The PM has ordered Dopa to stop giving firearms as prizes to village and subdistrict chiefs. A new firearms-control law is being drafted, and the government says it will take in proposals and objections. Discussions with the Sports Authority and shooting sports groups are looking at how tighter rules could affect training, competitions, and transport of legally owned guns. For most small business owners this changes nothing now, but if you own, sell, or transport firearms or run a shooting range or related business, watch for the draft law and comment while the consultation is open.
