Archive
September 8, 2026
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The BMA and Pollution Control Department warned people not to smoke or create sparks near drains on an 85-metre stretch of Rama III Road (Klong Toey and Yannawa), where VOC readings of 350 ppm pose explosion and fire risk. Ten manholes show oil leaks, and 50-metre sections of the local drainage are blocked while crews pump out 5,000 litres of contaminated wastewater. If your shop, warehouse or delivery route is on this stretch, avoid hot work and smoking outside, expect access disruption and odour, and follow any official instructions. The source of the leak is not yet known.
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The EEC secretary-general says the private operator (CP-linked Asia Era One) has asked to end its 3-airport rail contract and to cancel the Airport Rail Link operating deal, which ends 30 Sept. Talks are ongoing, and the Ministry of Transport source says the operator may keep running the Airport Rail Link for a period while the State Railway of Thailand works out a handover. Nothing is confirmed. For a Thai SME, the practical effect is limited: if you commute, ship or sell near Makkasan, Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang, watch for service changes or a handover around end-September. No action needed beyond monitoring.
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The Energy Ministry has opened public consultation on the draft PDP2026 national power plan for 2026–2050. It cuts the GDP growth assumption from 3.10% to 2.49%, and expects EVs, data centres and EEC projects to drive new demand. Peak load is shifting to around 21:00. The draft also opens Direct PPA and Third Party Access routes for buying green power, which matters for factories and larger SMEs planning long-term electricity costs. Nothing changes for your bills yet; watch for the final plan and comment window.
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The Airport Rail Link ran every 15 minutes instead of the usual nine for a second day, with no reason given and the revised schedule posted under seven hours before the first train. Extra SRT trains and city buses between Suvarnabhumi, Makkasan and Hua Mak were added at set times. Operations move from the Charoen Pokphand-led consortium to the SRT from October, so the operator is unclear until then. If your staff or deliveries rely on the airport link, allow extra travel time and check the page before setting shift or delivery schedules.
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Commerce Minister Suphajee says the US tariff negotiation is nearly done: key issues are settled and only wording and detail remain, with completion expected within about a week. She says the export tariff target will follow the earlier agreement made under the previous government. If it closes, a PM-level call between Anutin and Trump would follow to finalise. For exporters and firms selling into the US, this is a signal to prepare for the tariff rate in the existing deal, but the outcome is not yet confirmed, so avoid locking in price changes until the text is signed.
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Oil leaked from the DAMAC Digital Thailand data centre on Rama 9 Road into the public drain. The contractor pumped out about 32 cubic metres of contaminated water and sludge on 7 September 2026, and the Pollution Control Department reports zero VOCs, H2S and flammability at the drain. The department will keep monitoring and visit residents on 8 September about odour. For a Thai SME, this is a reminder that spills into public drains can bring regulator follow-up and clean-up costs, so check that your own oil and waste storage and disposal are secure.
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The Industry Ministry has ordered a crackdown on illegal industrial waste dumping, focused on the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and Prachin Buri. Inspectors will visit high-risk factories, rented warehouses and abandoned sites. Violations can lead to shutdown, criminal and civil charges, and waste-disposal costs passed to the offender. Waste-dumping and factory-law breaches will be treated as money-laundering predicate offences, allowing asset seizure. E-Manifest with GPS will track industrial waste trucks in real time. The ministry plans higher criminal penalties and fines. For factories and waste contractors, check that every waste handler is licensed and keep disposal records end to end. Report suspicions via hotline 1564.
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Brent rose to about US$97 a barrel, a six-week high, after Iran's parliament speaker threatened to hit regional energy infrastructure if the US strikes Iranian assets again. Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery was attacked on 7 Sep and is under damage assessment. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz averaged about 10 ships a day over 10 days, the lowest since May 2026, and OPEC+ kept October output policy unchanged. For a Thai SME, expect diesel and fuel-linked costs to stay under upward pressure; review fuel surcharges, transport contracts and energy budgets this quarter.
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On 8 Sep 2026 the Gold Traders Association listed gold jewellery (96.5%) at 69,700 baht per baht-weight to sell and 67,325.56 baht to buy back, up 350 baht from the previous close. Gold bars: 68,900 sell, 68,700 buy. World spot was US$4,438 an ounce. If you buy or sell gold stock or take gold as payment, reprice against the buy-back figure, not the sell price, since the spread is about 2,374 baht per baht-weight on jewellery.
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A House budget committee member proposed pausing civil servant salary rises and rank adjustments for 1-2 years, cutting about 25,000 million baht from the central budget reserve (งบกลาง) for fiscal 2027. The proposal is not yet law and the committee majority view is expected to prevail in the vote. For a private SME this is background only: it signals tighter government spending during an economic crisis, and no change to your own payroll, tax or permits follows from it.
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The baht opened at 32.85 per dollar on 8 Sep, slightly firmer than the 32.87 close the day before. TTB expects a 32.70-33.00 range over the next 24 hours. Markets give about 60% odds that the US Fed raises rates 0.25% at its 15-16 Sep meeting, after strong jobs data. US CPI for August is due Friday. For a business that imports or exports, this is a reminder to check FX exposure before the Fed meeting; a small move this week is not a reason to change pricing yet.
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The energy minister outlined a new PDP targeting over 60% clean power, with about 24,000 MW of new solar in the first 10 years. A proposed "Solar Rooftop 1 million roofs" scheme would give households about 5,000-7,000 MW, around 5 kW per roof, financed by loans with no upfront cost, and open to an estimated 4,000-5,000 installer firms. Direct PPA markets for clean power are also opening beyond the earlier data-centre pilot. Installers, roofing and electrical contractors should watch for registration on the platform; owners with suitable roofs should track the scheme's details. The article is a policy announcement, so terms and timing are not yet confirmed.
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The Business Development Department, working with the Land Department data, found 36,277 companies with foreign shareholders holding about 1.06 million rai of land and 7,082 companies holding 76,840 condo units (about 4.1 million sq m). Bangkok, Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi lead. The department says not all holdings are nominee arrangements, but BOI, IEAT, police and AMLO will check the cases. If your business is a Thai company with foreign shareholders, especially one buying land or condos, keep your shareholding and fund-flow records clean and documented. Enforcement is set to be strict.
September 7, 2026
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Bangchak's posted pump prices for 8 Sep 2026: B20 diesel 34.14 baht/litre (up 0.75 baht from the previous day), B7 diesel 39.14, gasohol 95 at 38.29, gasohol 91 at 37.92. Figures exclude the Bangkok local land tax and apply to the pump from 05.00 the next day. Check prices at your own station before budgeting fuel costs for delivery vehicles or machinery.
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The Department of Business Development has passed data on 36,277 foreign co-invested companies holding land and condos to the Lands Department, DSI, AMLO, BOI and others for checks on nominee arrangements. The DBD says the data is not proof of nominee activity by itself. If your business has foreign shareholders or works with a foreign partner, check that your shareholding, land use and any BOI conditions match your registration papers. Accounting firms have also been warned not to set up nominee companies.
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The Department of Business Development has passed data on 36,277 foreign-linked companies holding about 1.06 million rai of land to agencies including the Lands Department, the AMLO and the BOI. They will check whether land holdings match each company's investment promotion conditions and look for nominee arrangements. DBD says the data is not proof of wrongdoing, since many are legitimate Thai-foreign joint ventures. If your company has foreign shareholders, especially any with nominee-style structures or land and condo holdings, review your shareholder records and land documents now.
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The government expects tourism to recover from this year's worst-case forecast and is targeting 32.6-33 million foreign arrivals and 2.7 trillion baht in revenue. About 10 major events fall in Q4, including Vijit Chao Phraya (Nov-Dec), Amazing Thailand Marathon (Nov 28-29) and Loy Krathong in Ayutthaya. The Thai Teaw Thai Plus domestic co-payment scheme is expected to open for registration on 1 October and launch in November, with 4 billion baht for 1 million privileges. The accommodation subsidy design is still being negotiated: the Tourism Ministry wants a percentage co-payment rather than a flat rate, so final terms may change before cabinet approval next week. Businesses in hospitality, transport and retail in event areas should prepare for a Q4 demand lift and check eligibility once rules are published.
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The cabinet has approved in principle a National Disaster Insurance System starting in October, covering 30 million households against floods, windstorms and earthquakes. The state will budget about 15.5 billion baht a year for premiums. Initial payments are due within 15 days, with further compensation based on actual damage, capped at 100,000 baht per household per incident. Families of people killed in a covered disaster get 2 million baht. For a small business, this is household-level cover, not business interruption or property cover for the shop itself, so check whether your own insurance and staff/family situation overlap or leave gaps. Details are still being finalised by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation with the Office of Insurance Commission.
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The government plans to launch a national disaster insurance scheme in October covering 30 million households against floods, windstorms and earthquakes, with the state paying about 15.5 billion baht a year in premiums. Initial payments are due within 15 days, with further compensation based on actual damage, capped at 100,000 baht per household per incident. Death benefits are 2 million baht. The scheme is not yet fully detailed and will be coordinated with the Office of Insurance Commission to avoid overlap with existing relief. For a business owner, check whether your premises or stock losses are covered by existing policies, since this scheme targets households, not businesses, based on the article's description.
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Activist Sondhi Limthongkul has launched a "Take Our Thailand Back" campaign to monitor the government, with a rally at the Israeli embassy planned for Thursday and regional meetings to follow. The Election Commission's ruling on the 2024 Senate poll collusion case is due 14 Sept, and Sondhi says protests could escalate if it doesn't pursue charges. For a small business, the practical risk is possible street demonstrations and traffic disruption in Bangkok, especially around the embassy and the EC decision date. No direct change to tax, costs or regulation is announced.
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