Economy and commerce

More than 10 companies are poised to launch green bonds next year, suggesting that environmental, social and governance (ESG) bonds are gaining ground in Thailand.The tentative green bond issuers are both listed and non-listed companies, said Sirivipa Supantanet, deputy secretary-general of the Securities and Exchange ...

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak’s top concerns for next year are exports and confidence amid global economic uncertainties.“We are unsure what next year will hold, so we need to strengthen ourselves,” he said.Boosting economic momentum is a key issue this year, so the government needs ...

Exports dropped by 4.5% year-on-year in October to US$20.8 billion, bringing the contraction in first 10 months of 2019 to 2.35% with a negative outlook, according to the Commerce Ministry.Pimchanok Vonkorporn, director-general of the ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office, attributed the significant decline to ...

A free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU is likely to stimulate not only exports but imports and investment as well, helping to raise Thailand’s GDP by 1.63% a year, says a joint study by the Trade Negotiations Department and the Institute of Future Studies ...

The national e-payment roadmap for 2020 prioritises cross-border payments and fund transfers, aiming to boost financial transactions via the digital platform across Asean and deepening integration of the regional bloc.Under the three-year national e-payment roadmap through 2022, cross-border transactions are the focus next year. Financial ...

Thailand slipped one position to 43rd out of 63 economies in the World Talent Ranking 2019, while its regional peers Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines advanced, according to a report conducted by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre (WCC).The sixth edition of the ranking takes into ...

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has urged the public not to discuss Thailand’s economic problems too frequently, saying this could have a psychological impact on investor confidence.Mr Somkid said that he was ready to explain the economic slowdown if the opposition raised the issue at ...

The announcement by the Transport Ministry to legalise ride-hailing services by March 2020 comes in good time. The Internet economy has, for the first time, crossed the $100-billion (Bt3.03 trillion) mark, according to a report by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company.The government is taking ...

Thailand is trying to coax the baht down from six-year high territory as the currency’s strength threatens local manufacturing and tourism.The central bank has cut interest rates and eased capital controls to rein in emerging Asia’s best-performing currency this year.Keep reading ...

There were 1,339 factories with 34,569 employees and a total investment of approximately Bt56.9 billion registered for sale or out of business in the first 10 months of 2019, according to the Industry Ministry.The factories were classified into 21 industrial groups including crop products, food, ...