Archive
September 18, 2026
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The National Energy Policy Committee approved a 16.23 satang/unit retail Ft for Sep–Dec 2026, funded by 16,127 million baht of clawed-back excess profits, with gas for power plants capped at 363.53 baht per million BTU. Rooftop, ground and floating solar under Net Billing gets a target of 10,000 MW, a 5 kW-per-meter cap, and a 2.20 baht/unit buy-back for surplus power over 20 years. Businesses with rooftops should check the new rules, which the ERC must still issue. Gas-price step-ups are due from May 2027, so power bills may rise later.
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The Thai Restaurant Association has written to the PM asking that the "Thai Helps Thai, Kon Krueng Plus" scheme (planned for Oct–Nov 2026) not exclude small restaurants simply because they are VAT-registered. Its proposal: use annual revenue, staff numbers or business size instead. Restaurants earning over 1.8 million baht a year must register for VAT by law. This is only a request so far; the government has not changed the eligibility rules. If you run a small eatery that is VAT-registered, check the scheme's final criteria before the October launch and plan around them.
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Microsoft's September 2026 Patch Tuesday fixed 966 vulnerabilities, the most in a single month it has ever released, up from 570 in July. It includes 105 rated critical and two publicly disclosed zero-days, both in Windows components that can give an attacker SYSTEM-level access. If your shop, accounts or POS run on Windows PCs or servers, install the update now and restart. Ask whoever handles your IT or your software vendor to confirm the machines are patched.
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Bangkok's 50 districts will step up enforcement under a new environmental inspector team. Targets include dust controls for cement plants, metal smelters, boiler users and car paint shops, with inspections of pollution treatment systems and dust measurements. Food businesses in target areas will face checks on waste management and rodent control, with district officers visiting to explain the rules and spot-checking compliance. The article gives no effective dates or penalty details, so check with your district office (สำนักงานเขต) on what applies to your premises.
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ICOMOS, the UNESCO advisory body, has asked Chiang Mai for 19 more documents on technical and historical matters, including building control plans for the old city and the ancient water system from Doi Suthep. Answers are due by 27 October 2026. No further site visits are planned, so the decision will rest on paperwork. For a Chiang Mai business, the practical effect is limited for now: possible future building-height or construction rules in the old city and buffer zones, which would affect property, renovation and tourism-related projects if the listing goes ahead.
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The BOT says the policy rate of 1% suits the economy, which is still recovering below potential. It sees the baht as stable and the rate gap with the US as already priced in. Net foreign inflows since early 2026 are about 50 billion baht, mostly into equities and bonds. Reserves are over 300 billion USD. The BOT says outflows since the Middle East conflict are modest versus regional peers. Policy may stay easy. For a business, this means no near-term signal of a sharp baht move or rate hike from this statement alone.
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Six groups are competing for seats on the Social Security Board, which oversees a fund of about 2.5 trillion baht. Employer-side candidates propose balancing employer contribution rates against benefits to protect business competitiveness, and digitising contribution filings to cut admin costs. Other groups propose changes to maternity advance payments (one proposes abolishing them and having hospitals claim directly), child allowances, pension formulas and low-interest lending. These are only proposals from candidates; no rule changes are in force yet. Employers may want to watch which group wins, since it could affect contribution rates and how claims are paid.
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The Finance Ministry will put plans to fix or streamline 8 state enterprises before the Cabinet on 22 September. The list includes MCOT, the Govt Lottery-type agencies, the Bangkok Dock and the Liquor Organization. The SCSP says it did not propose merging MCOT with Thai PBS, citing different structures and legal limits. Details of MCOT's plan will wait until after the Cabinet decision. For a typical Thai SME, there is no action to take; the main relevance is if you supply, sell to, or advertise with these agencies, such as the Liquor Organization or the Agricultural Market Organization.
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The Interior Ministry says PM Anutin will sign the rooftop solar project paperwork today, then it goes to a loan-screening sub-committee (up to 15 days) before the Finance Ministry takes it to cabinet, roughly two weeks in total. It draws on the 400-billion-baht borrowing decree. The National Energy Policy Committee also agreed to raise solar installation capacity from 5,000 to 10,000 MW to support the scheme. For a small business, this is a possible future source of rooftop solar subsidy or demand, but no eligibility, rates or application process were announced yet. Watch for cabinet approval before planning installs or quoting customers.
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The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate by 0.25 points to 1.25%, its second hike this year and the highest in decades. It shifted focus from pushing inflation to 2% toward keeping it stable around that level. Two of nine board members dissented, and the yen weakened briefly to about 157 per dollar before recovering to 156. For Thai businesses, the story is indirect: yen-linked import costs and Japan-bound export or tourism demand may move, so watch yen levels if you buy from or sell into Japan. No action is needed this week.
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The State Railway's Department of Rail Transport reports the Den Chai–Chiang Rai–Chiang Khong double-track line (323 km, 25 stations) is 70.7% complete, with right-of-way over 98% handed over. Three tunnels are already breached; the 6.2 km Ngao tunnel, still about 300 m short of breakthrough, is behind plan and is expected to start track laying in 2027. Container yards at Den Chai, Phayao, Pa Daet and Chiang Rai are under construction, with full service targeted for 2028. For a northern SME, this is a medium-term logistics and property consideration, not something to act on this quarter.
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Gastech 2026 in Bangkok (14-17 September) focused on energy security after the Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption. EGAT spokesperson says Data Center power requests reached 35 GW, close to national peak demand (about 40 GW), but the government views much of it as phantom demand and set real demand at 8.8 GW in the draft PDP 2026. PTTEP says gas still supplies about 60% of Thai power, and every US$3/barrel price swing moves household electricity costs by about 5%. Falling Gulf of Thailand gas means more LNG imports, which will press on power costs. EGAT plans THB 35 billion for grid upgrades in the EEC, with about THB 45 billion more in 2027. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is drafting a separate Data Center tariff and Direct PPA rules, due by year end. For an SME, watch electricity tariffs and energy-cost assumptions in your budget; the Data Center tariff rules are not yet final.
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Deputy PM Supachai says a cabinet proposal next week will cover energy prices, cost of living and farm goods, drawing on the central budget, loans or the oil fund. She expects 2026 inflation to stay under 3%, with H1 averages below 2%, but the war is prolonged and sea shipping routes are closing. Diesel in Thailand is about 39-40 baht/litre versus about 106 in Singapore because of fund subsidies, which may not last. The Commerce Ministry says it cannot set or cut oil prices at source. Plan for fuel and input costs to stay volatile and watch the cabinet decision.
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The state enterprise policy office (SCP) says a merger of MCOT and Thai PBS is not possible because they operate under different laws. The Finance Ministry will take MCOT's fix and a review of eight state enterprises (including the Bangkok Dock, the Liquor Organisation and the Warehouse Organisation) to cabinet, covering possible dissolution, merger or restructuring. No date is given. For a typical SME this is background only; if you deal with these agencies as a supplier or customer (e.g., liquor or warehousing), watch for the cabinet decision.
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The Land Transport Department has set 30 September 2026 as the deadline for all app-based ride drivers to hold a valid public driving licence, under the agreement app operators signed on 29 June 2026. Grab has temporarily closed its screening system, and walk-in licence applications are open at transport offices nationwide. Drivers who take online training should save the QR certificate, then bring documents for a fitness test, theory exam and criminal record check. Fee payment and photo come after the record check passes. Owners running fleets or hiring drivers should confirm every driver's status before the deadline.
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If the government renews Thai Chuay Thai Plus (60/40) for phase 2, about 40,000 million baht remains in the budget, and the scheme would start around June. A Chulalongkorn economist says the goal must be clear (relief or stimulus), and the 60/40 split is a heavy cost to government. He warns that a scheme running longer than half a year could distort competition against shops that are not registered for VAT (revenue limit 1.8 million baht a year). He also questions whether the AI sales-analysis tool will help small shops reach formal bank credit. Nothing is decided yet: plan for possible changes in design and duration, and keep your VAT and sales records in order.
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The National Energy Policy Committee approved a Ft retail rate of 16.23 satang per unit for September–December 2026, funded by 16,127 million baht of recovered surplus, with gas for power plants capped at 363.53 baht per million BTU. Rooftop, ground and floating solar under Net Billing can now reach a 10,000 MW target, with surplus power bought at 2.20 baht per unit for 20 years (previously 10). For SMEs: electricity costs are easing this period, and if you have roof space or a plant you can consider solar for self-use and selling surplus. Gas price gap charges to power producers start from May 2027, so watch future Ft rates.
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The US Fed raised its policy rate by 0.25%, its first hike in three years. PM Anutin says he approved in principle a phase 2 renewal of the "Thai Chuay Thai Plus" stimulus scheme, with details still to be announced by Finance Minister Ekniti. The scheme was described as a 1,000-baht handout used in a single lump over two months, but the PM did not confirm the terms. No conditions or deadlines are set yet. For a small business, watch the official announcement: if it's a consumer cash handout, it may lift local spending, and the government says more measures may follow in December–January.
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AAV, Thailand's AirAsia affiliate, is owed a net 11,400 million baht by AirAsia Group Berhad as of end Q2 2026. Kasikorn Securities estimates AAV may need to book 600-1,200 million baht in credit-loss provisions and now sees profit recovery slipping to 2027. AirAsia is seeking up to USD 1 billion in bond funding and a 700 million ringgit Malaysian credit line. For a Thai SME, the direct impact is limited to travel and logistics suppliers linked to AAV or AirAsia. Watch the AirAsia briefing, and avoid extending unsecured credit to AirAsia-linked counterparties until its funding is confirmed. Higher jet fuel costs are also squeezing airline operations.
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A government spokesman says phase 2 of the Thai Chuay Thai Plus handout is expected to give 1,000 baht usable for 2 months, on the same 60:40 split as before. Welfare-card holders would get 700 baht topped up on top of their regular 300 baht. Details still await the loan-spending committee's final review, and the Finance Ministry will discuss it this afternoon. The spokesman says no budget reallocation is needed. For a shop, this means possible extra spending from households in the coming months, but the amount and timing are not confirmed yet. Don't change stock or staffing on it until the official rules are published.
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