THE Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) today (April 1) cut its 2026 GDP forecast for Thailand to 1.2-1.6 percent, down from previous projection of 1.6-2.0 percent, citing soaring global energy prices brought on by the Middle East war, PPTVHD26 said. Mr. Kriengkrai Thianukul, chairman of this key committee, said the
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Korn: Isn’t 17 baht a litre refining margin excessive?
DEMOCRAT deputy leader and party-listed MP Korn Chatikavanij today (March 31) said that as he calculates the refining margin has surged to 17 baht a litre and questioned whether this isn’t already excessive profiteering, TV Channel 7 said. In a post on his personal Facebook page, the former finance minister said today with diesel
Read moreFarmers object to midnight oil price hikes
FARMERS pleaded with the authorities to not announce oil price hike in the middle of the night as occurred last night and took effect at 5 a.m. this morning (March 31) with this being the second time a midnight announcement was made, the first being a 6 baht hike that took effect last Thursday
Read more6 baht fuel price hike will not stop smuggling: MP
THE SUDDEN increase of oil prices by 6 baht a litre in the middle of the night will not significantly solve the problem of smuggling fuel to neighbouring countries because the price difference is still very high with a gradual or tiered increase based on world market being a more appropriate measure, People’s MP
Read moreFederation reluctantly hikes transport charges
THE HEAD of the Land Transport Federation today (Feb. 27) tearfully announced raising charges because higher fuel prices made it difficult to maintain the cost structure while fearing a domino effect, Amarin TV said. Dr. Thongyoo Kongkhan, the federation’s president, said 136 associations nationwide covering road, bus, and water transport sectors attended a meeting
Read moreIran ‘sends message to Thailand offering to sell crude oil at special price’
IN A dramatic turn in the current energy crisis, Dr. Lerpong Sayed, president of the Thai-Iranian Alumni Association, said Tehran had sent a message to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul offering to help Thailand by selling crude oil at a special price below global market rate to help alleviate the hardship of the Thai people,
Read moreFishing boats may stop operating at month’s end: Industry leaders warn
THE OIL crisis has so badly hit the fishing industry that leaders of this sector in Samut Sakhon province, better known as Mahachai, today (March 23) warned that fishing boats may cease operation nationwide at the end of this month leading to hundreds of thousands of job losses unless the government reins in soaring
Read more2026 GDP could drop to 1.2% of war drags on: KResearch
IN SLASHING its 2026 GDP forecast from 1.9 to just 1.2 percent should the Middle East war drag on and escalate Kasikorn Research Centre (KResearch) warned that Thailand also risks being hit by stagflation and a “Triple Deficit”, PPTVHD36 said yesterday (March 21). Mr. Burin Adulwattana, managing director and chief economist of KResearch, said
Read moreEscalating Middle East war will likely further weaken Thai baht
THE Thai baht is set to weaken further as the Middle East war is intensifying and dragging on while the US Federal Reserve also may not be in a rush to cut interest rates, PPTVHD36 said today (March 20). Mr. Wachirawat Banchuen, senior financial market strategist at Siam Commercial Bank, said the Thai baht’s
Read moreCoconut farmers stage protest at Parliament over low prices
COCONUT farmers dumped their produce in front of Parliament today (March 19) in protest of plummeting prices of aromatic coconuts and gave the government 30 days to take action with a warning that they will escalate their demonstration if no progress is made, Naewna newspaper and TNA said. A representative of the farmers said
Read moreScramble for fuel in Chiang Mai could rock tourism
RESIDENTS of northern Chiang Mai city flocked to fill up their vehicles this evening as fuel prices are rising at 5 a.m. tomorrow (Mar. 18) with some petrol pumps imposing refueling limit while the a taxi cooperative head warned the current situation is impacting both transportation and tourism, TV Channel 7 said. There were
Read moreThailand to buy crude oil from Angola, US
AMID oil shortage fears Energy Minister Auttapol Rerkpiboon said today (Mar. 17) that Thailand has reached agreements to buy nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil from Angola and over 600,000 barrels from the United States, PPTVHD36 said. This will ensure that there is enough crude oil supply to meet refining capacity. While the
Read moreMiddle East war starting to rock tourism with focus now on Asians
AS THE US-Israel war on Iran enters the third week Thai tourism industry is now starting to feel the impact of some people hesitating to go on a holiday but this is also an opportunity to draw more Asian tourists to the country, PTTVHD36 said today (March 14). Mr. Chotichong Surangkul, vice president of
Read moreThailand has crude oil reserves for another 98 days
IN ALLAYING fears about oil shortage, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Transport Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that the country has sufficient crude oil reserves for 98 days while the price of diesel will stay fixed till Monday (Mar. 16), TV Channel 7 and PPTVHD36 said today (Mar. 13). As the 15-day freezing of diesel price is expiring
Read moreNew govt urged to build energy security amid stagflation fears
AS energy shortages may occur during the current US-Israeli war on Iran, with this being a weak point of the Thai economy, the main challenge for the new government will be building energy security and coping with rising energy prices, People’s MP Anusorn Tamajai said today (Mar.8). Amid the looming energy shortages there is
Read moreBA confident of Thai tourism industry despite Middle East turmoil
BANGKOK Airways Plc (BA) is confident that the Thai tourism industry will continue thriving amidst the war in the Middle East with foreign tourists likely coming here for extended stays as happened when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, PPTVHD36 said today (Mar. 7). Mr. Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, BA’s president and CEO, said Thailand’s charm, beauty
Read moreFertilizer retailers fear prolonged war will drive up prices
WITH most urea fertilizer being produced and shipped from Middle Eastern countries, should the US-Israel war on Iran drag on there will be a ripple effect with retailers seeing sales plunge while farmers would have to cope with increased costs, TV Channel 7 said today (Mar. 7). A survey of fertilizer shops in Buriram
Read moreThailand has enough oil reserve for short term: Panel
WITH the US-Israel air war against Iran having expanded today (March 2) engulfing Lebanon, Gulf states and a British air base in far-away Cyprus, Thailand’s Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) reassured that there are sufficient oil reserves for 60 days and contingency plans could be utilised to secure supplies from
Read moreCrude soars, stocks drop after US strikes on Iran
By AFP – published by Yahoo!News and Thai Newsroom OIL PRICES soared and stocks fell in Asia on Monday (March 2) after US-Israeli strikes on Iran sent investors fleeing the prospect of an extended conflict in the crude-rich Middle East. Brent briefly spiked almost 14 percent and West Texas Intermediate nearly 12 percent at
Read moreThai central bank unexpectedly cuts policy rate amid tariff uncertainty
By Reuters and published by CNA THAILAND’S central bank unexpectedly cut its policy interest rate at a review on Wednesday (Feb. 25), as it seeks to further support an economy pressured by US tariff uncertainty and a strong baht. The Bank of Thailand’s monetary policy committee voted 4-2 to cut the one-day repurchase rate
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