10 Oct 2023
Thai Economy
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21 Sep 2022
Due to rising vegetarian food prices in line with higher production costs, and floods damaging agricultural crops that are the main ingredients of vegetarian food, especially vegetables and tofu which typically see price hikes during the Kin Jae festival, the number of Bangkok residents participating in this year’s festival would not increase, even though the COVID-19 situation has improved. Additionally, they would reduce their number of days of participation so as to control spending budgets for vegetarian food.... Read more
24 Sep 2019
The annual Kin Jae festival is helping feed Bangkok residents’ growing appetite for vegetarian food, with the participating population rising from 57.1 percent to 66.7 percent this year, reflecting a trend towards healthier lifestyles among the new generation. People are also eating less frequently each day. KResearch expects Kin Jae festival-related sales in Bangkok to reach 4.76 billion Baht in 2019, up 2.4 percent YoY. The growth is weaker than that of last year, because the slowing economy is prompting some Jae consumers to curb their spending during this year’s Kin Jae festival. ... Read more
11 Jan 2019
• The KR-ECI conducted nationwide rose to 46.0 percent in December 2018 because some Thai households got extra income while the cost of living was declining in line with raw food prices and energy costs. • The 3-month Expected KR-ECI also increased to 47.6 in December because households spent less following the year-end festive season. • KResearch views that there will be many factors affecting the cost of living of Thai households during 1Q19, including possible declines in agricultural supplies due to the effects of El Niño, hikes in public bus fare and electricity charge, plus clearer political outlook that may reinvigorate domestic spending. ... Read more
20 Dec 2018
KResearch maintains our estimate of Headline Inflation in 2018 at 1.1 percent, compared to the 0.7-percent pace of 2017, as a result of rising energy prices and housing rents amid contracting prices of fresh food following a large quantity of supplies in the market.... Read more
14 Nov 2018
The 3-month Expected KR-ECI edged up slightly to 46.9 in October over 46.5 reported for September. This is because households were more optimistic toward income and employment over the next three months (November 2018 - January 2019) partly as a result of the fact that non-farm households that will get annual paid rises while agricultural households will earn more from the upcoming harvest season.... Read more
21 Sep 2018
Kin Jae (vegetarian) is one of the main festivals that food and beverages suppliers and distributors, including fine restaurants, street food vendors, convenience stores and online operators, have paid attention as this annual event is one of the best periods to boost their sales and expand their customer base. KResearch’s survey on consumer behavior during Kin Jae festival finds that most Bangkok residents are interested in consuming vegetarian food, especially the working population (aged 25 and over). These customers said they want to purify their minds/refrain from consuming meat, while some are already regular consumers of Jae/vegetarian food.... Read more
29 Jun 2018
According to Bank of Thailand data on household borrowing in 1Q18, the ratio of household debt to GDP dropped from 78.0 percent in 4Q17 to 77.6 percent (while the seasonally adjusted figure stood at 77.7 percent). However, the outstanding household debt in 1Q18 stepped up to THB12.17 billion, or 5.2 percent higher than the same period of 2017, compared to the 4.6-percent growth recorded in 4Q17. The surge of outstanding household debt was consistent with the high growth seen in retail lending of commercial banks and private consumption, especially spending for durable goods, namely homes and automobiles. ... Read more