BANGKOK (NNT) – Since the COVID-19 outbreak many private companies have opened their face mask factories, delivering surgical masks to medical professionals. By the end of this month, 28 factories will be producing a maximum of 4.2 million surgical masks each day.

The Department of Internal Trade’s (DIT) Director General Wichai Phochanakit, announced today that six new surgical mask factories have been opened, in addition to the 11 factories operating since before the COVID-19 outbreak, meaning the number of factories producing surgical masks in Thailand now totals 17 factories, with a combined production output at 3.5 million items per day.

Currently, 12 more factories are in the process of opening. These new factories have received investment promotion packages from the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI), and will help increase the production output rate of surgical masks by another 700,000 pieces each day.

It is expected that by the end of July, there will be 28 surgical mask factories operating in Thailand, with a total production output of 4.2 million masks per day, which would be enough to meet the present demand by the general public.

According to the DIT chief, the general public has now changed to using more of reusable cloth face masks, which helps reduce the demand for single-use surgical masks needed by medical professionals.

Hospitals in Thailand now have a 2-month supply of surgical masks in stock, with a factory recently opened by the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) now supplying surgical masks free of charge to hospitals.

Meanwhile, the export of surgical masks produced in Thailand will continue to be restricted for another six months, or until 3rd February 2021, according to the latest announcement from the Central Commission on Prices of Goods and Services published on the Royal Gazette. Exporters can still however make an export request, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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BANGKOK (NNT) – The COVID-19 pandemic has ground the world economy to a halt, affecting employment, agriculture and exports. MIn Thailand, manufacturers under the Excise Tax, B.E. 2560 (2017), have also been hit by the COVID-19 situation. As a result the Finance Minister, Uttama Savanayana, has instructed the Excise Department to implement tax measures to prevent unemployment, and business closures.

The car making industry will benefit from the new tax measures. An increase in the excise tax limit for three-wheeled electric vehicles will stimulate production and employment, while promoting clean energy. Tax payment will be reduced from four percent to two percent.
Excise tax on fruit and vegetable juices with health benefits will be lowered from 20 percent to 10 percent. In addition to promoting this industrial segment, consumers will have more choices and access to healthy beverages.

The government will support service businesses that keep their workers employed. These businesses will enjoy a zero tax rate until September this year.

The current tax rate on cigarette and tobacco products will be extended until September 30, 2021. A new tax rate will be applied on October 1, 2021, to help raise liquidity. The delivery time for goods exempted from duty has been extended from 30 days to 120 days.

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BANGKOK (NNT) – In response to leading supermarkets in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) removing Thai coconut products from their shelves amid allegations that mistreated monkeys were being used to pick coconuts in Thailand, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, insisted that the country’s industrial sector does not use monkeys to harvest coconuts.

Mr. Jurin said manufacturers of Thai coconut products will be invited to a meeting tomorrow (July 8) to discuss ways to clarify the situation to foreign traders. In addition, foreign ambassadors to Thailand, who have questions about this issue, will be invited to visit the actual farms.

Mr. Jurin said the issue had already been clarified in the past. Images and video clips of monkeys picking coconuts up tall trees, are only a reflection of Thai culture to promote tourism. These days, monkeys aren’t used to harvest coconuts on an industrial scale.

In 2020, Thailand produced 788,000 tons of coconuts. The country has 15 coconut processing plants, which can produce 113,000 tons of milk in total. About 70 percent are for domestic consumption, while the rest is for exports. Thailand also imports coconuts from neighboring countries. Thailand mainly exports coconut milk and young coconuts. Last year, the export value of coconut milk was 12.3 billion baht, with eight percent of coconut milk exported to England and 18 percent exported to other European countries. The issue does not affect Asian countries, as they have an accurate understanding of the Thai way of life.

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Amid the rising adoption of cleaner cars around the globe, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has already approved 24 projects by car makers to produce in the country electric vehicles of all types.

This includes hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), with a combined capacity of over 500,000 units per year, BOI data shows.

With the ongoing shift towards EV in the global, regional and domestic markets, Thailand is counting on its strong foundation in the automotive and support sectors, as well as its strategic location, and comprehensive investment incentives to attract car makers investment in EV manufacturing.

The approved projects include Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd.’s 5.48 billion baht investment to upgrade the company’s existing car production line at Laem Chabang Industrial Estate to allow the annual production from 2023 of a total of 39,000 vehicles, consisting of some 9,500 BEVs and 29,500 HEVs.

In June, the BOI also approved a 5.5 billion baht investment by Sammitr Group for the production, in Phetchaburi Province, of 30,000 BEVs.

Both projects, like most others, will aim at the local market and exports, mainly to other ASEAN countries.

Other manufacturers which projects have been approved include BMW (production of PHEVs and partnership with the DRÄXLMAIER Group for the production of high-voltage batteries and battery modules), FOMM, a new Japanese EV brand which name means “First One Mile Mobility”, which has started making compact BEVs at a plant in Chonburi province, and Nissan Motor which has for several years made…

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