Archive
August 12, 2026
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Department of Provincial Administration has suspended new purchase permits (Form P.3) and new welfare-gun projects until the cabinet decides otherwise. Holders of P.3 permits who already bought a firearm must apply for a possession-and-use licence (P.4) within 30 days of the cabinet resolution, or they risk unlicensed possession. Firearm dealers and shooting ranges face checks of sales against permits and stock, with tax inspection by the Revenue Department. Dealers should reconcile sales and stock records now. A bill revision is due within 60 days, with proposed 5-year renewal of P.4 licences and real-time electronic tracking.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Thai Airways' Q2 2026 net profit fell to THB 1.54bn from THB 12.13bn a year earlier. Revenue rose 8.5% as it raised fuel surcharges (average passenger yield up 20.3%), but total costs rose 29.7%, with jet fuel alone up THB 8.18bn (72.6%). Passenger volume (RPK) fell 11.3% and cabin factor dropped to 71.5% from 77.0%. For SMEs: fuel-linked costs are pushing up airfares and freight-related charges, and weaker travel demand signals caution in tourism and travel-linked spending. Watch your own fuel and transport costs, and plan for softer travel demand in the second half.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (กกร.) says the government has moved on 11 of 58 secondary-law proposals that can be acted on now. Two are in-principle approvals: transit and transshipment rules will use the Customs definition of "transit", with low-risk operations moving from permit to notification; and the height limit for trucks carrying 40-ft High Cube containers rises from 4.2 m to 4.6 m. No effective date is given. If you run logistics, freight forwarding or import-export, keep an eye on the implementing rules and check whether your truck or transit permits will change. Another 21 proposals need agency coordination, and 26 are still under study.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Bloomberg reports Thailand plans to tell Washington that higher US import tariffs could force it to scale back military cooperation, including the Cobra Gold exercise, in the trade talks resuming late August. The US currently applies 12.5% under Section 301 on most Thai exports, and the government is trying to keep tariffs at or below 19%. Thailand also pledged to speed up a ban on goods made with forced labour. For exporters, the talks' outcome sets the tariff rate you face, so watch the late-August round and the forced-labour import law.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The State Railway board approved three southern double-track sections (Chumphon–Surat Thani, Surat Thani–Hat Yai–Songkhla, Hat Yai–Padang Besar) at 122,720.74 million baht, up 18,254.80 million from the 2024 budget, mainly due to flood-proofing Hat Yai and higher material and fuel costs. It goes to the cabinet by late August 2026, with tenders in early 2027 split into four civil-works contracts; construction is due to start July 2027. The Hat Yai–Songkhla 30 km segment was dropped for now. For southern SMEs in construction, materials, logistics and transport, this is a pipeline to plan bids and supplier positioning around, not something to act on this week.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Thai Airways' Q2 2026 net profit fell to 1.54 billion baht from 12.13 billion a year earlier. Average jet fuel prices rose 104.6% year-on-year because of Middle East unrest, and total expenses rose 29.7%. Passenger demand also weakened: revenue passenger kilometres fell 11.3% and cabin factor dropped to 71.5% from 77.0%, while fares (passenger yield) rose 20.3%. For a Thai SME, this signals that fuel-driven cost pressure is reaching air travel: budget higher airfares and freight-related surcharges for business trips and shipments, and expect fuel surcharges to persist while Middle East tensions continue.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Immigration and labour officials raided a Chinese-run data centre construction site in Ban Chang, Rayong, and arrested 24 Myanmar and Chinese workers without proper permits. Authorities also filed complaints against three contractors for hiring them. If you use subcontractors or hire foreign staff, check that every worker has valid work permits and that your contractor does too. Liability for unpermitted labour can reach the company that hired the crew.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Rubber Authority of Thailand (กยท.) has had no permanent governor since 15 July 2024. The board appointed Wirit Amrapal as acting governor from 17 August 2026 and set up a new search committee; the secretariat estimates about 4 months to appoint a full governor. The board chair warned that the acting head has limited powers, which could delay rubber price measures. Rubber farmers and rubber-linked businesses should expect slower policy decisions. The board meets again in late August on the rubber buffer stock, auction and carbon credit projects.
Your real translator for LINE and Discord.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Cabinet approved on 11 Aug 2026 extending the school milk programme to Mathayom 1-3 students in expanded-opportunity schools, starting the second semester in November 2026. Eligible pupils rise from about 6 million to over 6.6 million. The ministry expects raw milk purchases to rise by 87.202 tonnes per day. If you supply milk, dairy products, cold-chain transport, or school food, look at the November start; if you run a shop or canteen near these schools, expect more demand from families. Household spending on children's milk should ease slightly.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
GSB director Thossapol Cheewapanyarot says the bank is expanding unsecured lending, assessing borrowers on behaviour rather than only past records, starting small and increasing limits as history builds. The "Sathapon Arcs" style career loan has drawn nearly 100,000 applicants in about two weeks, aimed at self-employed workers. Because oil prices are high due to war, GSB is also offering revolving working-capital loans to supply-chain businesses that commercial banks have declined. The bank says it is not competing with commercial banks but filling gaps they leave. For SME owners who were refused by commercial banks, GSB is a credible alternative to check; the article gives no rates or eligibility criteria, so confirm terms directly with the bank.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
On 12 Aug 2026 (per the 9.18 am reading), Thai gold jewellery (96.5%) sold at 69,800 baht per baht-weight, up 300 baht from the prior close, and buying-back was 67,416.52 baht. Bar gold sold at 69,000 and bought back at 68,800. Gold spot was about 4,400 USD per ounce. The buy-sell gap on jewellery is roughly 2,400 baht, so check the spread before buying or pricing gold-linked items. Prices changed across the day's five announcements, so confirm the current rate with the Gold Traders Association before quoting.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Tokyo Shoko Research counted 118 izakaya bankruptcies in January–June 2026, a record for that period since 1989, and over 90% were firms with fewer than 10 staff. Owners cite rising food, utility and rent costs, and a fear that raising prices will drive customers away. Japan's planned cut in food consumption tax from 8% to 1% for two years (from April 2026) may pull diners toward supermarket ready meals. For a Thai small restaurant, the lesson is to watch menu costs closely and find a clear point of difference, since large chains are better placed to absorb these pressures.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Thai gem and jewellery exports excluding gold rose 15.73% in June 2026 to US$881.29m, the fourth straight month of growth, led by markets such as Germany, Japan, Switzerland and the UAE. Exports to the US fell 7.87% after importers front-loaded earlier. GIT warns that the US Section 301 tariff of 12.5%, with some Thai items taxed, will weaken Thai exporters' price competitiveness against rivals. A weaker baht may help on price. Demand for premium and fancy-cut stones is holding up, while mid-market buyers may trim orders or switch to gold-plated and lower-karat jewellery. If you sell to the US, check your landed cost now.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The FDA (อย.) has certified 7 platforms to offer telepharmacy since June 2026, including LINE MAN, Shopee, and CP All's ALL PharmaSee, allowing online pharmacist consultation and sale of all medicines including controlled drugs. The Thai pharmacy association warns that independent shops (about 18,000 SMEs) will struggle to compete with chains on cost. Telepharmacy still requires a pharmacist on site, costing roughly 50,000–100,000 baht a month. Owners should check their pharmacist staffing costs, review how they handle online orders and delivery, and consider whether a shared pharmacist hub model could cut costs.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
An opinion column argues China cut crude imports by about half (around 5.5 million barrels a day) between February and June, drawing on its national reserves, and that this pushed Brent down about $30 a barrel while the Hormuz disruption kept supply tight. The column says China now steers global crude prices much as OPEC once did. For a Thai SME this is background: crude can swing sharply on Beijing's buying and selling, so keep fuel and energy budgets flexible rather than assuming today's price holds.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Prime Minister Anutin says the nationwide firearm carry permit has expired, so no one, not only Bhumjaithai MPs, can legally carry a gun right now. He also said the government will tighten control over the roughly 10 million guns held by civilians, and that politicians who get involved in firearm offences risk losing their right to stand for election. He said the law itself has not changed. For a business owner, the practical point is simple: do not carry a firearm for security, and check with staff or security contractors that they are not doing so. Watch for any new firearm rules that could affect businesses that hold guns or hire guards.
Together GoWeGo! Ferry tickets in Thailand.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The Energy Ministry is studying a central EV charging app or hub that would let drivers find and pay at stations from several operators in one place. No decision or timeline yet. Registered EVs are near 500,000 and charger use averages 40 cars per charger, per the article. For a Thai SME, this changes nothing today. If you run or plan EV chargers or fleet charging, watch for a shared platform and any cost-sharing company structure.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Police investigators have sent more than 3,000 pages of files in the civil service exam fraud case to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), which will decide whether to take over the investigation. There is no fixed deadline for that decision. The 13 suspects include 11 people arrested at a Nonthaburi company and two senior figures, a university testing bureau director and a former local administration director-general. For a small business owner this is background only, with no action required.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
Per PTT-independent source Bangchak's pump prices on 12 Aug 2026: gasohol 95 at 36.84 baht/litre, gasohol 91 at 36.47, diesel B7 at 37.54, and diesel B20 at 32.54 baht, up 0.85 baht from the previous day. B20 is the cheaper diesel option at the pump. If your fleet or machinery runs on B7, compare the cost per km or per hour against B20 before refuelling, and reflect the daily movement in delivery and transport pricing.
▾ Hover for summary ▾ Tap for summary
The government plans to start the "Thai Tiew Thai Plus" domestic travel subsidy on 1 October 2026, with registration for Thai travellers opening then. It is a co-payment scheme (50:50 or 60:40) at one rate nationwide, with 500,000 rights and 1,750 million baht budget. Vouchers of 1,000-1,500 baht per right can be spent on restaurants, spas, attractions, OTOP products, car and boat rental, and one-day or half-day tours. Hotels must be in the tax system and have registered capital of no more than 200 million baht. Cabinet approval is targeted for end of August 2026. If it slips, the start may move to 1 November. Operators should check tax registration and capital eligibility now and prepare to register in September.
