BANGKOK (NNT) – The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is arranging “Thailand Focus 2021: Thriving in the Next Normal”, a virtual conference, to present the strength and opportunities of the Thai capital market in the next normal. Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith will deliver a keynote speech on the Thai economy’s opportunities, readiness and strategic progress towards sustainability to boost confidence among institutional investors globally. In addition, representatives of business, financial and capital market sectors will demonstrate how Thai business operators could strategically optimize their resilience and adapt to cope with the pandemic situation. Senior executives of over 100 listed companies will share valuable information in the virtual conference set for August 25-27.

SET President Pakorn Peetathawatchai, said today that Thailand Focus conferences have been held continuously for 15 years with this year’s theme being “Thriving in the Next Normal”. It will show the potential, strength and readiness of the Thai capital market and the overall economy in the next normal. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Thai capital market has managed to keep uncertainties in check, making strides in initiating new businesses and attracting more companies engaged in future industries to line up for listing. From 2019 until now, the Thai capital market’s performance has proven to be outstanding compared to other ASEAN markets in terms of newly listed securities’ fundraising amounts, while the overall market is currently faring better than early this year. This indicates the Thai capital market’s healthy position as a key fundraising and returns generating source amid the crisis, and interesting investment destination. The Thailand Focus conference truly provides a good opportunity to present useful information and demonstrate potential to global institutional investors.

The Thailand Focus 2021 virtual conference, is honored to have Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith make the keynote speech on the topic “Shaping Thailand’s Readiness for Post COVID-19 Economic Opportunities”, shining light on the directions and policies concerning economic stimulation by the government to support recovery and prepare for growth. He will confirm development strategies to drive a sustainable economy as the foundation of long-term growth. Moreover, representatives of the government and private sectors will concertedly boost confidence among international institutional investors by presenting Thailand’s potential and listed companies’ adaptations, especially by adopting innovations and technologies to increase their performance efficiency and realize growth opportunities, with lessons learnt from the current crisis to enhance business success in the future.

Despite the COVID pandemic, this year’s Thailand Focus will be close to its previous manifestations under normal conditions. For example, the number of participating listed companies will be double their number in the virtual conference last year. Furthermore, there will be one-on-one meetings so that institutional investors can engage in opportune discussions directly with listed companies, in addition to the virtual private group meetings that were organized last year, drawing a great number of large institutional investors.

“Moreover, top-notch executives of more than 100 listed companies from all industry groups will participate in the conference to share privileged information with worldwide institutional investors. These are companies with growth potential and knowledge of current investment trends. In addition, these corporations place importance on sustainable development embracing environmental, social and economic governance or ESG; aspects valued by global investors who will also share their insights,” added Pakorn.

“Thailand Focus 2021: Thriving in the Next Normal” is being conducted in the form of a virtual conference on August 25 – 27, 2021 to present investment opportunities to worldwide institutional investors. For more information, please visit www.set.or.th/thailandfocus.

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BANGKOK (NNT) – The value of Thailand’s exports in the second quarter of 2021 was recorded at 67.8 billion USD – an historically high level. Exports increased 36.2 percent – the most recorded in 44 quarters – from 5.0-percent growth in the previous quarter, according to the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council.

Export items of increased value included passenger cars (89.1 percent), pickups & trucks (190.5 percent), vehicle parts & accessories (102.2 percent), electrical equipment (24.6 percent), computers and parts (37.6 percent), rubber products (40.0 percent), rubber (97.3 percent), and cassava (48.2 percent).

The Thai Economy in the second quarter of 2021 increased 7.5 percent, compared to a 2.6-percent contraction in the previous quarter. After being seasonally adjusted, the economy grew by 0.4 percent from the first quarter. In the first half of 2021, the Thai economy expanded by 2.0 percent.

Meanwhile, accommodation and food service activities contracted by 17.2 percent, further declining from 37.1-percent in the preceding period. The number of foreign tourists dropped 99.4 percent and the average occupancy rate was 12.20 percent.

On economic stability, the unemployment rate was 1.9 percent, slightly lower than 2.0 percent in the previous quarter and also 2.0 percent in the same quarter last year. At the end of June 2021, international reserves stood at 247 billion USD and public debt was at 8.83 trillion Baht or 56.1 percent of GDP.

The Thai economy in 2021 is expected to grow in the range of 0.7 – 1.2 percent, recovering from a 6.1-percent contraction in 2020, and revised down from the range of 1.5 – 2.5 percent in the previous projection (as of May 17th, 2021).

Economic growth over the remainder of the year is likely to be subject to the following vital limitations and risks, including uncertainty arising from the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fragile financial position of both households and businesses amid a high unemployment rate, with additional impact from the resurgence of COVID-19, risks affecting exports, and the manufacturing sector being affected by an outbreak of the virus in industrial areas, coupled with the constraints on the global value chain and international logistics, and volatility in the global economic and financial situation.

Policy management in the remaining months of 2021 should put an emphasis on containing the domestic outbreak, providing remedial assistance to affected people, implementing measures to support economic recovery once the outbreak can be contained, by focusing on policy to promote domestic spending and the tourism sector, preparing areas for a resumption of economic activities, implementing surveillance measures to prevent a resurgence of the new outbreak, and helping entrepreneurs to resume their usual business operations, encouraging the export of goods, maintaining growth momentum with government expenditure and public investment, stimulating private investment and preserving the domestic political environment, as well as maintaining economic stability.

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BANGKOK (NNT) – To assist Muslim retailers impacted by the persistent COVID-19 situation, the Halal Science Center of Chulalongkorn University has opened Thailand’s first THA Shop as a sales point for Halal SMEs.

Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Alongkorn Polabut presided over the opening of the THA Shop, which is an amalgamation of premium goods from across Thailand. The products are to be sold in Bangkok as well as online and include Halal products, OTOP goods, state enterprise products and unique provincial offerings such as ready-to-eat meals, snacks, drinks and health supplements.

Director of the Halal Science Center Winai Dahlan remarked that SMEs are the key to economic progress, pointing out there are currently over 3.1 million in Thailand, contributing 34 percent of the GDP. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely dampened SMEs however and the THA Shop was set up to promote sales by such businesses.

The shop is located at Suan Luang Square in Soi Chulalongkorn 12 and can also be accessed online at Facebook page thashopbkk or via Shopee.

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BANGKOK (NNT) – The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has revealed that its revenue, during the first nine months of fiscal 2021, increased by 138% year-on-year to 130 billion baht due to more investment in industrial estates, especially in technology to improve factory operations.

IEAT Governor Veeris Ammarapala said industrial estates located in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) played a key role in driving investment and drawing investors.

He said the IEAT expects investment to grow in the last fiscal quarter of this year as a result of the state’s mass vaccination program and the global economic recovery. However, total land sales in IEAT estates decreased by 49.6% year-on-year to 148.32 hectares, down from 294.24 hectares, mainly because foreign investors cannot not travel to Thailand to sign land purchase contracts.

According to the IEAT, China invested the most in industrial estates (15.2%), followed by Japan (12.1%) and Singapore, South Korea and the US (9.09%). There are 4,944 factories in IEAT’s industrial estates, employing 815,942 workers.

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