23 Jul 2019
Agriculture
The off-season drought situation in 2019 (May-July 2019) has caused extensive damage. The influence of a mild El Nino condition has resulted in lower than normal rainfall. The amount of water in the dams remains low, adversely affecting main agricultural products such as in-season rice that farmer... Read more
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22 Jul 2019
Regarding the ongoing cassava mosaic virus epidemic, KResearch views that in 2019 the cassava mosaic virus epidemic may not damage the overall cassava output for this year because normally a small amount of cassava will enter the market in the second half of the year. The cassava price in 2H19 is li... Read more
Trading
Skyrocketing gold exports supported Thai shipments to shrink at a slower pace in June 2019. Thailand’s June outward trade reached USD21,409.3 million, representing a contraction for the fourth consecutive month at 2.15 percent YoY. The shrinkage, however, was slower than those reported during the pr... Read more
9 Jul 2019
Due to China’s African swine fever (ASF) outbreak, China may experience the shortage of pork meat for domestic consumption and need to import other protein sources from other countries. We at KResearch view that the incident will likely benefit Thai livestock products, especially chicken products ex... Read more
28 Jun 2019
Industry
The “Green business trend” has prompted many countries to introduce campaigns to reduce the use of plastics which are not easily degradable, especially single-use plastics for food and beverage packaging. Therefore, renewable materials, namely bioplastics have seen a rapid growth with an average com... Read more
Tourism
In 1H19, inbound tourism slowed due to various factors; whereas, the overall number of tourists and slowing growth rate were as expected (party due to high base effect in 2018), in spite of some differences in details in each market. For example, the number of Chinese tourists is lower than expec... Read more
25 Jun 2019
KResearch views that the wood pellet market in Japan is expanding significantly to serve the local power sector. The demand for wood pellets in Japan is expected to increase to 5 million tons in 2022 from 1.2 million tons in 2019. However, Japan has the capacity to produce only 126,000 tons of wood ... Read more
21 Jun 2019
The trade war between the US and China has had repercussions across the globe and slowed down the international trade. In the first two months of 2Q19, Thai exports continued to contract, with the outbound shipments in May 2019 totaling USD21.018 billion, a drop of 5.79 percent YoY. Hence, Thai expo... Read more
14 Jun 2019
The government’s controls on air pollution, including the Euro 4 emission standards and new excise tax on motorcycles, based on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which are expected to be enforced at the beginning of 2020, will likely have a varying effect on motorcycle price ahead. ... Read more
30 May 2019
The US Department of Treasury issued the report on macroeconomic and foreign exchange policies of the US’ major trade partners on May 28, 2019, which is about a month behind the original schedule. The report does not specifically label any country as a currency manipulator in order to bolster advant... Read more
24 May 2019
Thai exports to major markets are under pressure from the escalating trade war, which is likely to linger through the end of the year. Moreover, Thai exports may lose market share in the European Union (EU) to neighboring ASEAN countries in the near future, if the EU can conclude bilateral trade dea... Read more
22 May 2019
Food delivery applications are an example of ‘digital disruption’, in which digital technology transforms not only consumer behavior but also restaurants’ food supply chains. Additionally, food ordering apps have propelled the food delivery business to enjoy an annual growth rate of over 10 percent ... Read more
Slowing global economy pressures Thai exports in April 2019 to contract for a second consecutive month. The outbound shipment of Thai goods in April 2019 totaled USD18,555.6 million, declining 2.57 percent YoY. Consequently, Thai exports in the first four months of 2019 dropped 1.86 percent YoY, a ... Read more
17 May 2019
With the growing popularity of plant-based protein, consumer behavior has begun to change. They have reduced their intake of meat and shifted toward protein derived from non-meat food sources. Meanwhile, there is an emerging movement advocating the consumption of plant-based protein instead of meat ... Read more
15 May 2019
The domestic and export markets of Thai motorcycles have become saturated. However, the outlook for domestic sales and exports of big bikes remains promising. This has steadily attracted the world’s major big bike makers to invest in Thailand, making us one of the leading big bike manufacturing and ... Read more
10 May 2019
As drought is projected to last until July 2019 instead of the end of May forecasted before, based on low water levels in reservoirs, especially in the central and northeastern regions, and the delay in rainfalls during June-July 2019, it is expected that the second-season rice and sugarcane, which ... Read more
KResearch expects that the demand for sensors, which are essential components for the automotive manufacturing in Thailand, will steadily increase. Due to stricter environmental measures to curb carbon emissions, automakers have placed higher attention on environmental and safety systems in their ne... Read more
9 May 2019
Real Estate and Construction
The package includes the Finance Ministry’s residential property stimulus measure which targets the customer group with real demand. They are first-time buyers planning to buy a house with reasonable price. Additionally, there is a measure to ease the spending burden of low-income and middle-income ... Read more
23 Apr 2019
The attempt by the three natural rubber producing countries (Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia) to boost rubber prices in 2Q19 by curbing rubber exports by 240,000 metric tons for four months from April-July 2019 amid the downward trend of rubber prices may prop up rubber prices somewhat. The measur... Read more
22 Apr 2019
The value of Thai merchandise exports reached USD21.44 billion, shrinking 4.9 percent YoY in March 2019. Given this, Thailand’s outward trade overall contracted 1.6 percent YoY during 1Q19, as expected by KResearch. The major factors attributing to the contraction in March shipments, in particular t... Read more
18 Apr 2019
Condominium developers are expected to face greater challenge in 2019 due to increasing economic uncertainty as well as specific factors affecting condominium market. For example, the demand for condo has been somewhat absorbed and there are a number of remaining unsold units covering a wide range o... Read more
12 Apr 2019
Energy
In February 2019, the Energy Ministry announced measures to tackle PM 2.5 dust by upgrading the diesel standard to Euro 5, which limits the emission of sulfur compounds to under 10 parts per million (PPM) from 50 PPM under Euro 4. KResearch views that if business operators switch to premium grade di... Read more
9 Apr 2019
The anticipation toward Songkran this year has been dampened by the air pollution in the northern part of Thailand. At any rate, since the smog in the north had continued for some time, tourists have adapted to the situation and adjusted their travel plans to other areas. Meanwhile, the drought in m... Read more
27 Mar 2019
Services
Thailand has been an aging society since 2005. According to the latest information in 2018, there are 11.8 million senior citizens, representing 17.7 percent of the total population. From the business perspective, the demographic shift creates an opportunity for Thai companies to rethink and adjust ... Read more
6 Mar 2019
Signs of drought in 2019 are imminent as the summer has come sooner and is expected to last longer than in previous years, affecting rainfall amounts and lowering water levels in the country’s major reservoirs. KResearch holds the view that this year’s drought could persist through the month of May.... Read more
28 Feb 2019
The intensifying tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir two weeks ago has led to the airspace closure in northern Pakistan and parts of India, being the key air route between Europe and Thailand. In the past, conflicts of any magnitude between the two countries were seen to affect only are... Read more
22 Feb 2019
The slowing global economy, impacts of the US tariff hikes on Chinese imports, a cyclical downturn in electronic products, low global crude oil prices and the high base of 2018 all pressured Thai exports to shrink for the third consecutive month at 5.65 percent YoY in January 2019. Shipments of othe... Read more
15 Feb 2019
The residential property market will continue to face a number of challenges in 2019. These include a fragile economic recovery in Thailand, weak purchasing power, especially of low-income earners and high levels of housing inventory. Given this, KResearch has conducted a survey on the behavior of ... Read more
KResearch holds the view that plant factories present a new and interesting option for farmers to use as a farming tool because of its precision in controlling farming environments by using technology and innovation. Plant factories answer the demands of the Agriculture 4.0 era by increasing agricul... Read more
13 Feb 2019
Amongst the most significant trends in technological development over 2019 will be the advent of Hyper-Personalization – the utilization of personalized Big Data for addressing the very specific needs for consumers. Compared to personalization, Hyper-Personalization goes further with respect to th... Read more
12 Feb 2019
Thai exports in 2018 rose 6.7 percent YoY, driven mainly by commodity prices. Nonetheless, Thai export growth was significantly lower than those of our neighboring countries. Traditionally, intermediate goods accounted for a majority of the entire Thai export structure, showing that connectivity wit... Read more
1 Feb 2019
The number of Chinese tourist arrivals to Thailand bounced back quickly toward the end of 2018, thanks to a concerted effort by the private and public agencies in helping shore up confidence of Chinese tourists toward Thailand and an exemption of visa-on-arrival fee for citizens of 20 countries, inc... Read more
31 Jan 2019
Amid attempts to promote carmakers to adopt the Euro 5 emission standards for domestically-produced cars in 2021, aimed at addressing the PM2.5 dust particle problem over the long term, we at KResearch have assessed that the costs involved will force consumers to set aside extra expenses of at least... Read more
30 Jan 2019
The booming electric vehicle (EV) market in Thailand is increasingly evident in 2019 as a number of automakers have sought the Board of Investment (BOI)’s incentives to produce EVs here. KResearch forecasts that the EV market share in the next five years will increase to one-fourth, or 240,000 unit... Read more
24 Jan 2019
On January 8, 2019, the European Union (EU) announced to lift the so-called “Yellow Card” or warning on Thailand for our substantial progress in tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Although the removal helps improve the image of Thai seafood products, such exports the EU wil... Read more
In 2019, residential property developers in Greater Bangkok may face more challenges in bolstering sales because purchasing power overall has not fully recovered and there are various economic factors affecting consumers’ decision to purchase homes. Under this circumstance, real estate developers ma... Read more
10 Jan 2019
In 2019, KResearch views that the government’s agricultural assistance policies will be crucial for the farm sector. The government’s ongoing farm support measures which follow up on the projects implemented in the previous year, especially the short-term ones, including direct subsidy and income su... Read more
26 Dec 2018
We at KResearch expect that Thai car exports will reach approximately 1.15-1.18 million units in 2019, increasing slightly by 1-4 percent over the 1.14 million units projected for 2018, due to a number of downside risks. These include volatile global trade that may dent purchasing power in our expor... Read more
Thai hard disk drive (HDD) exports in 2019 are expected to continue growing, driven by a boom in computer HDD exports. KResearch estimates that overall HDD exports in 2019 will reach around 252 million-262 million units, increasing between 3.6 and 7.8 percent when compared to 2018, equivalent to USD... Read more
24 Dec 2018
Tourism activities in the last five days of 2018 or between December 28, 2018 and January 1, 2019 are expected to generate THB47.43 billion of tourism revenue, up by 9.3 percent over-year, according to an estimate by KResearch. The buoyant sentiment from both local and international holidaymakers is... Read more
12 Dec 2018
Currently, there is a transition in the global automotive industry toward environment-friendly cars. Thailand as one of the world’s leading car production bases has followed suit. Following the debut of domestically-assembled eco-cars in 2010, the country is now a leading environment-friendly car ma... Read more
11 Dec 2018
KResearch survey reveals that more than 59 percent of the respondents choose to celebrate the 2019 New Year in Bangkok, which is close to last year’s figure of 60 percent, due to heavy traffic, the crowded atmosphere and concerns over their spending power. However, most of the respondents have made ... Read more
30 Nov 2018
Sugarcane leaves and tops, once considered residue in the sugarcane plantation field, can be used to add economic value and income for sugarcane growers. In the 2017/2018 crop year, the combined amount of sugarcane leaves and tops reached 22.94 million tons. KResearch estimates that, based on the ... Read more
26 Nov 2018
Since early 2018, Bangkokians have recorded more domestic trips, which have been stimulated by the government’s policy to promote secondary cities via tax deduction measures, along with active campaigns of both public and private sector to introduce new tourist spots in Thailand. For the last quarte... Read more
21 Nov 2018
Thai exports in the first 10 months expanded 8.2 percent YoY, driven by favorable expansion of auto products and parts and equipment, in line with steady global economic recovery. In addition, petroleum-related products rose due partly to higher crude oil prices in 2018 when compared to the levels i... Read more
19 Nov 2018
The draft of the Land and Building Tax Act, B.E….will replace the current local maintenance tax, building and land tax laws once it has been enacted. The new Land and Building Tax Act is intended to enhance the efficiency of tax collection by local administrative organizations in line with the... Read more
16 Nov 2018
Currently, Thailand is the world’s third largest auto tire exporting country after China and Germany. In 2017, Thai auto tire shipments reached over USD3.9 billion. We at KResearch are of the view that the Thai auto tire industry will undergo a major change again in the near future as Thailand will ... Read more
6 Nov 2018
At present, the fast-paced business world is fuelled largely by digital disruption. The tourism and hospitality business is one of the industries that has experienced a rapid evolution in the past decade, with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) emerging to become a force to be reckoned with. The OTA busi... Read more
19 Oct 2018
The digital asset market is facing an inadequate balance of assets and a lack of liquidity in its trading. Currently, Bitcoin is the dominant digital asset that captures more than half of the market; its market share is by far larger than the second and third currencies, i.e. Ethereum and Ripple ea... Read more
12 Oct 2018
KResearch views that after the growth of inbound tourism in 3Q18 registered the lowest rate of the year, Thailand’s inbound tourism market should pick up in 4Q18 with approximately 9.56 million international travelers expected to visit Thailand, up 3.0 per cent YoY. This is because the last... Read more
28 Sep 2018
Over the first eight months of 2018, Thailand’s border trade and transit trade were valued at THB922.312 billion, growing 6.5 percent YoY. Although growth was slower than the 9.8-percent pace reported in 2017, KResearch views that the THB-denominated amount of our border trade and transit trade for ... Read more
25 Sep 2018
Under the Digital Identification bill, a National Digital Identification (NDID) committee will be set up to govern digital authentication, which will announce additional regulations for Digital ID. The Digital ID bill empowers the committee to regulate three areas: 1) digital identificatio... Read more
21 Sep 2018
The value of Thailand’s outward trade reached THB22.794 billion for August, representing a new record high. However, the August export growth grew at a slower pace at 6.7 percent YoY, due partly to a high 2017 base and 66.6 percent contraction in gold shipments. If the value of gold exports was e... Read more
7 Sep 2018
The mooncake market in 2018 is estimated to enjoy an increase by 3.3 percent YoY to reach THB930 million after the sales registered a status quo in 2017. The demands are driven by customers’ desire to buy mooncakes for their personal consumption or presenting them as gifts to others. This year, moon... Read more
23 Aug 2018
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ data, the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand in July 2018 dropped 0.9 percent over-year to a total of 930,000 persons. In contrast, the tourism receipts from the Chinese segment rose 4.5 percent over-year to THB51.38 billion. A slight slowdown is ... Read more
22 Aug 2018
Thai outbound shipments to the US and China, however, slowed in July 2018 amid an ongoing trade war between the US and China. The value of Thai exports to the US contracted for the first time in 21 months at 1.9 percent YoY due to a decline in exports of machinery, electronic parts, instant noodles ... Read more
25 Jul 2018
Being in a transition from an ageing society to an aged society, demand for housing facilities intended for the elderly in Thailand has risen. In this market, there are developers in both the public and private sectors, and for private projects; they may be classified into two types: 1) general resi... Read more
20 Jul 2018
Overall, Thai outbound shipments in 1H18 rose 11.0 percent over year. The growth is attributed mainly to the sustained momentum of economic recovery and the cyclical uptrend of electronic products, which are also expected to drive Thai exports in 2H18. The expansion rate in 2H18 however is expected... Read more
9 Jul 2018
The adequacy of electric charging station infrastructure is the biggest concern of most consumers. Nonetheless, there are now a small number of plug-in EVs on the roads. According to the KResearch forecast, there will be only around 51,300 plug-in EVs by 2019, while more than 1,000 charging stations... Read more
22 Jun 2018
The 2018 FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia is interrupting the consistent flow of Russian tourist arrivals in Thailand. According to statistics of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the number of Russian visitors in Thailand over the first five months of 2018 surged 21.4 percent over-year to reach 80... Read more
11 Jun 2018
All 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for June 14 – July 15, 2018 in Russia, will be broadcast live on three TV channels. There are nine official sponsors of such live streaming. This football phenomenon is expected to garner huge interest from Thai fans, given the favorable timing ... Read more
8 Jun 2018
The FIFA World Cup is one of the top sporting events that attracts a fair amount of Thai viewers. A survey conducted by KResearch recently on behavior of the Thai audience and their spending during the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia, June 14-July 2018, shows that some 10.96 million Thai p... Read more
4 Jun 2018
KResearch is of the view that there is heightened competition among private hospitals vying for Thai patients here because purchasing power of such patients remains subdued. Although private hospitals have opportunities to expand their customer bases by capturing the growing number of senior citizen... Read more
23 Apr 2018
Thailand’s merchandise exports reached USD22.363 billion for March 2018, representing a fresh record high. As a result, our 1Q18 shipments hit a 7-year high of 11.3 percent YoY. Despite a high 2017 base, the value of March exports was driven by steady economic growth seen in our trade partners, favo... Read more
11 Apr 2018
KResearch expects domestic travel in Thailand in the first half of 2018 to continue its boom, driven by various factors including “Go Local” campaign and the long holiday during Songkran festival. Thais are going back to their hometowns to reunite with their families and celebrate Thai New Year, whi... Read more
21 Mar 2018
- Despite a high 2017 base of comparison, February exports continued to expand for the 12th month Thailand’s international trade data for February 2018 indicated a scenario of strong and continued recovery in foreign demand. Despite the high 2017 base because the 2018 Chinese New Year fell in Feb... Read more
9 Mar 2018
At present, more restaurateurs are setting up in department stores and other large retail facilities. The current expansion in new shopping malls a... Read more
21 Feb 2018
Contrary to the past 5-6 years when the value of January exports tended to fall over-month, January shipments in 2018 posted better-t... Read more
15 Feb 2018
KResearch views that the price trends seen in major agricultural produce are already showing a mixed picture in 2018. Some produce are projected to gain higher prices, e.g., rice and cassava, which should return to price gains after less appealing prices in 2017, increasing 2.0 and 21.4 percent YoY ... Read more
13 Feb 2018
KResearch views that a Cabinet resolution dated December 4, 2017, approving a cut in government subsidies and intervention into sugar pr... Read more
This year began with strong growth in Chinese tourist arrivals into Thailand in continuation from 2017. February – having the Chinese New Yea... Read more
24 Jan 2018
Beginning January 1, 2018, Vietnam's import tariffs on automobiles from ASEAN member states have been slashed to zero percent, in accordance with... Read more
22 Jan 2018
Thailand saw a trade deficit in December 2017 for the second time in the year (after one in July 2017) due to higher than expected imports that had... Read more
15 Jan 2018
In 2018, inbound tourism market continues to be driven toward further growth. This year, the government and related agencies, incl... Read more
9 Jan 2018
Over recent years, Thai exports to the US have been relatively competitive, thanks to the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Howeve... Read more
29 Dec 2017
KResearch views that Thailand's wireless telecommunication market growth will slow somewhat in 2018 on strong competition, particularl... Read more
28 Dec 2017
The phenomenon of swift expansion and continual uptrend in e-commerce is viewed by KResearch as a significant turning point in retail trade resulti... Read more
27 Dec 2017
Thailand's auto market has exhibited a turnaround in 2017 after four years of contraction. The major impetus for this could be the recovering purch... Read more
26 Dec 2017
The upcoming 2018 New Year holiday should invigorate Thai tourism further as more international and Thai tourists will take vacations here d... Read more
22 Dec 2017
Thailand's outward trade grew steadily for the ninth consecutive month in November, thus sending 11M17 export performance to 10.0 percent... Read more
21 Dec 2017
KResearch views that rubber prices will likely rise during the first quarter of 2018 (‘1Q18'), given positive factors that include... Read more
28 Nov 2017
As Thai economic recovery momentum is expected to continue in 2018, boosting property developers’ confidence toward the offering of new r... Read more
24 Nov 2017
We at KReseach expect that turnover within the car rental market here will probably reach THB42.5 billion in 2017, increasing 9 perce... Read more
22 Nov 2017
Thai export value in the first month of 4Q17 (October) continues to show bullish signs. - Exports related to oil prices continued to rise,... Read more
20 Nov 2017
Bilateral trade negotiations with the US are ushering in a new era following President Trump's historic visit to Asia, November 5-14,... Read more
10 Nov 2017
A poll conducted by KResearch on the behavior of the Bangkok populace toward domestic travel during 4Q17 shows that 75.4 percent of the re... Read more
3 Nov 2017
An online poll conducted by KResearch shows that a majority of Thai consumers believe that keeping abreast of news is an important task. Th... Read more
19 Oct 2017
During the first nine months of this year (January-September 2017), Thai exports soared 9.3 percent YoY. September results continued higher to 12.2... Read more
9 Oct 2017
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has removed Thailand's “red flag” status from their website. Since that sta... Read more
6 Oct 2017
Aerial drones for agriculture could be an interesting option as an agricultural tool that offers high precision. They are now becoming very... Read more
2 Oct 2017
The Thai Premier's visit to the US, October 2-4, 2017, on an invitation by President Donald Trump, is expected to forge strong... Read more
29 Sep 2017
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the number of Chinese tourist arrivals to Thailand grew for the fourth consecutive month in ... Read more
27 Sep 2017
KResearch expects this year's mooncake market will be worth around THB900 million, which would be essentially unchanged from 2016. In 2017... Read more
25 Sep 2017
We at KResearch are of the view that competition in the online-shopping market here is heating up as Thai and international companies have ... Read more
22 Sep 2017
Because of a large consumer base, Thailand's beverage market has an extensive variety of products on offer, leading to a situation where... Read more
14 Sep 2017
The government has introduced a new method of calculation on the auto excise tax, aimed at bolstering efficiency in auto excise tax collection... Read more
25 Aug 2017
KResearch estimates that Thai textile product exports (exclusive of garments) will grow 5.0 percent to a value of at least USD4.2 billion in 2017, a... Read more
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has reported that during the first seven months of 2017 (7M17), 20.41 million tourists came to Thailand, ... Read more
23 Aug 2017
Thailand's net international trade for July recorded the first deficit in 27 months, with USD19.040 billion in imports and USD18.852 billion in expo... Read more
27 Jul 2017
It is expected that Thai rice prices will increase in 2H17 over those seen in 1H17 due to the psychological effect of gradual declines in domestic... Read more
It is expected that Thai rice prices will increase in 2H17 over those seen in 1H17 due to the psychological effect of gradual declines in domestic rice stocks, meaning that existing rice stockpiles should be completely exhausted within 2017. The uplift will also be driven by increased demand for Tha... Read more
25 Jul 2017
KResearch holds an optimistic view toward Thailand's electronics exports that will likely return to growth in 2017 for the first time in two years. ... Read more
The number of patients from Middle Eastern countries visiting Thailand for medical treatments has declined steadily due chiefly to changes in their... Read more
24 Jul 2017
We at KResearch forecast that Bangkok residents, especially those with income below THB20,000/month, will spend less on cosmetics in 2017, due mainl... Read more