Archive
August 13, 2026
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Deputy PM Supachai Suthammaphan says about 72% of Thai exports to the US are now exempt from US tariffs under Sections 301 and 232, with the remaining 28% still under negotiation; a Thai delegation flies to talks in late August. Government plans to favour domestic goods in public procurement, focused on defence, rail and medical devices, with clear Local Content rules still to come. SMEs may be routed through DIPROM's GMT SMEs programme and the FTI Made in Thailand certification. No firm deadline for SMEs yet; watch procurement rules and the August talks.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Deputy PM Suphajee says the state will open public procurement to Thai-made goods, parts and services, focusing on defence, rail and medical devices, with Local Content criteria still to be defined. SMEs can work through the DIP "GMT SMEs" mechanism and MiT certification. Biofuel (diesel and benzene) promotion is under discussion, with excise tax still to be set. She also plans to travel to the US in late August to negotiate tariffs; about 72% of goods are reportedly exempt under Sections 301 and 232, leaving 28% still under talks. No dates or final rules are set yet, so watch for the Local Content criteria before retooling.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Vietnam's central bank says outstanding dong loans exceed deposits by about 2 quadrillion dong (USD 7.68 billion), a liquidity and rate risk. The government wants near-12% growth in the second half of 2026 and Techcombank has started seeking foreign funding. For a Thai SME this is background: Vietnam is a regional export and sourcing market, and tighter Vietnamese bank funding or dong-related rate moves could affect trade partners and import costs. No action needed now.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Energy Policy Administration Committee (กบง.) approved a Bt2.40/litre discount at the refinery gate on B0, B7 and B20 diesel for 31 days, 16 August to 15 September 2026, funded by Bt4.475bn of refinery surplus profit. This is the sixth such round, and Bt2.445bn of surplus remains. It is a refinery-gate cut, not a retail price cut, so check whether your fuel supplier or station passes it on. Budget transport and delivery costs for this period with that in mind, and keep receipts in case the cut changes at the next review.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Department of Intellectual Property is pushing GI (geographical indication) registrations for local products, including Ratchaburi lime and mango, Betong oranges and mangosteen, Ko Kret red tea and Nong Bua Lamphu cloth. For SMEs, the useful point is the legal limit: GI protects the registered name and the GI logo only. Using "Lampang Chicken Bowl" for goods not made in Lampang to the registered standard can be fined up to 200,000 baht. Misusing the Thai GI logo can bring up to 4 years' jail and a 400,000 baht fine. Similar-looking designs without the name or logo are generally not covered. Get GI certification if you make a registered product, and check your names and logos before you sell.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
On 10 August 2026, a joint agri-security team stopped a 22-wheel truck in Chumphon carrying 20,000 kg of frozen beef worth about 2.8 million baht, with no import (R.7) or movement (R.4) permits. The driver, 38, was charged under the Animal Disease Act B.E. 2558 and the beef was seized, bound for Samut Sakhon. If you buy or sell frozen meat, check that every supplier can show the import and movement permits, because goods without them can be seized and their buyers may face scrutiny. Expect tighter checks on road transport of agricultural goods, especially in the south.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Agriculture ministry has ordered close monitoring of flood risk in 12 provinces, including Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nan, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani and Ubon-adjacent Amnat Charoen. Flash floods and overbank flows are expected in hilly and low-lying areas through mid-August 2026. The R.1 canal in Songkhla, the main drainage route for Hat Yai's economic area, is targeted to be fully operational again by November 2026 ahead of southern rains. If your business sits in these provinces or in Hat Yai, plan stock, transport and equipment protection now, and expect possible disruption to deliveries and access.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Department of Intellectual Property says AI voice conversion, remixing, or generating new songs from copyrighted tracks can infringe copyright if done without permission and no exemption applies. Check the rights status of source material before using it, and get permission (possibly paying a fee) for any use. Songs whose copyright has expired are generally usable, but related rights such as sound recordings and performances may still apply. The department offers mediation before court and a hotline, 1368, for questions. Relevant mainly if your business uses AI for music, audio or marketing content.
Your real translator for LINE and Discord.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
UTCC's consumer confidence index rose to 51.8 in July 2569 (from 50.7 in June), the second straight monthly gain, which it credits mainly to the "Thai Help Thai Plus 60/40" scheme (government pays 60% of spending, up to 200 baht/person/day and 1,000 baht/person/month; the scheme runs 1 June to 30 September 2569). Falling oil prices after the Middle East conflict eased and higher farm crop prices also helped. All indices remain well below the 100 neutral level, so confidence is still weak. UTCC expects demand to firm from September, with a clearer upturn in Q4 as government spending accelerates. For a Thai SME: plan for stronger sales from September, but watch whether spending holds after October when the scheme ends.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
After a shooting in Nonthaburi, the Interior Ministry has suspended new Por.3 gun permits nationwide and halted the "welfare guns" scheme for officials. Carrying weapons in public without proper authorisation is banned. A new gun-control law with tech-based tracking of sales and registrations is due within 60 days. For a business that holds or handles firearms, or runs security or gun-related trade, expect tighter checks and paperwork. Owners of security staff should confirm any carry authorisation in writing.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Energy Regulatory Commission approved a new progressive residential tariff effective with September 2026 bills. The average charge for all user types falls from 3.95 to 3.86 baht per unit (excluding VAT). The first 200 units are capped at 3 baht per unit, and the 201-400 and 401+ tiers drop by about 6 satang. The change applies only to households, not to business tariffs. It also extends the household definition to residents without a permanent house registration who have at least 6 months of payment history. Owners of small shops or home businesses on residential meters should check whether their meter size and tariff category are affected.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The US Treasury's 10-year auction on 12 August cleared at 4.683%, the highest yield since the 2008 financial crisis, with a 30-year auction expected to follow at its highest in 25 years. Analysts cite heavy US borrowing, sticky inflation, and Japanese bond yields pulling money away. For a Thai SME this is background: higher global long-term rates can put upward pressure on borrowing costs and the baht over time, so it is worth watching but no action is needed yet.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Economists expect Thailand's second-quarter growth to slow sharply because weak consumption is dragging on demand. Plan for softer customer spending in the coming months: review stock levels, cash buffers and sales forecasts before committing to new hiring or expansion.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Thai banking industry (TB-CERT, Thai Bankers' Association) warns that AI "agents" now find and exploit system weaknesses automatically. The article cites a report that attack success rates rose from about 20% to over 90%, and that intrusions which took around 4 months in 2023 can now succeed in 20-22 hours. Over 200 million leaked logins from Thai government and private bodies have reached the dark web, per DES. For a small business: use unique passwords and two-factor login on banking, email and admin accounts, keep software and systems patched, and be wary of unexpected account or payment requests. The article itself gives no specific guidance for SMEs.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Ningxia Baofeng Energy, which holds about a third of China's coal-to-chemicals capacity, reported H1 2026 profit of 9.73 billion yuan (about 48 billion baht), a record quarter in Q2 as crude prices rose on Middle East conflict and Hormuz disruption. Its coal feedstock stayed cheap while oil-based feedstock costs jumped. For a Thai SME this is background: it shows how oil-price spikes shift raw-material costs in petrochemicals, which can feed into plastic packaging and resin prices over time. No action needed now beyond watching resin and packaging supplier prices.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Anthropic says text and files generated by Claude will carry a model-level watermark using the open C2PA standard, and it stays even after copy-paste or light editing. It is being rolled out to comply with the EU AI Act, which took effect on 2 August. Newer models get it first, older ones later; the article does not say how many edits remove it. For a Thai SME, this matters only if you sell or publish content into the EU or use AI for customer-facing material. Start by checking whether your AI-written content (marketing, product descriptions, reports) needs a disclosure label for those markets.
Together GoWeGo! Ferry tickets in Thailand.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The NBTC board has failed to reach quorum five times in a month. Commissioner Pirongrong Ramasoot wrote to the secretary-general asking staff to convene the six remaining commissioners, arguing that Dr. Noppadol Sanon (the disputed chair) cannot legally preside after the Administrative Court declined his case and the prime minister moved to have him removed. She says any resolutions made with him presiding could be legally invalid. For a Thai SME, this is only relevant if your business depends on pending NBTC decisions, such as broadcast, telecom, or frequency licences. Watch for a ruling on whether meetings can proceed, since delayed approvals could slip your timelines.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Brent rose to about US$88.98 and WTI to about US$83.27 per barrel on 12 Aug 2026 (up about US$0.07 each) as US-Iran ceasefire talks stalled and Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed. Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Bab el-Mandeb strait killed four crew, the first Houthi maritime deaths since the war began. US crude inventories rose 17.4 million barrels in the week to 7 Aug, the largest weekly build since Jan 2023, while OPEC cut its 2026 demand growth forecast to 580,000 barrels/day. For a Thai SME, the risk is higher diesel and shipping costs in coming weeks; avoid locking in fuel-sensitive prices without a buffer, and check freight surcharges with logistics providers.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Digital Economy Ministry says about 200 million login credentials tied to Thai systems have leaked, including 35,000 private-sector systems. Government agencies must force password resets and clean up old systems within 15 days. A proposed cabinet resolution could make multi-factor authentication (MFA) legally required for both government and private organisations, though the timeline is over a month and not yet set. Action now: change shared and admin passwords, turn on MFA for any system you use with government or hold customer data in, and review old systems you have forgotten to shut down.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Gold Traders Association prices at 09.42 on 13 Aug 2026: gold bars buy 68,900 / sell 69,100 baht; 96.5% jewellery buy 67,522.64 / sell 69,900 baht per baht-weight. Spot gold is about US$4,408/oz. Shops with gold stock or jewellery pricing should reprice against the spread, which is wide on jewellery (about 2,400 baht between buy and sell). Prices move several times a day across announcements, so check the latest round before quoting.
