1. Govt revives B200bn flood plan: Plodprasop backs controversial dam plan. The government will revive a 200-billion-baht water management project to mitigate severe flooding in the Yom River basin in the North, amid calls to revisit the controversial Kaeng Sua Ten Dam plan. Bangkok Post
2. Pheu Thai moves forward without gen Prawit: Influential PPRP leader may seek revenge for ouster. The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) under the leadership of Gen Prawit Wongsuwon is poised to become a formidable opposition force after being dropped from the Pheu Thai-led government, according to political pundits. Bangkok Post
3. The tourism authority expects to meet its arrival estimate this year, generating 1.8 trillion baht in revenue.: Agency signs pact with Chinese firm. Tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport. As of Aug 26, foreign arrivals tallied 23 million this year and bookings continue from East Asia, especially China, followed by Europe and South Asia for later this year. Thailand is on course to welcome 12.2 million foreign arrivals in the last four months of 2024, lifting annual arrivals to almost 36 million and generating 1.8 trillion baht in revenue this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Bangkok Post
4. The House will begin its 3-day 2nd and 3rd reading of the 2025 fiscal budget today, after the 1st reading on the Bt3.75trnl budget was accepted by the House on June 21.
5. Transport Minister said the Bt1trnl southern Land Bridge will move forward as Government’s drafting the Southern Econ Corridor (SEC) bill, which is required for the project to continue.
6. Private investment falls sharply in Q2: According to the NESDC report, the economy grew by 2.3% in the second quarter of this year, improving on 1.6% growth in the first quarter. Private investment contracted significantly in the second quarter, primarily due to a decline in investment in commercial vehicles as financial institutions tightened lending, according to the Finance Ministry. Bangkok Post
7. IEAT sees record land sales: The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) is set to see its industrial land sales reach a new high of more than 6,000 rai for the second consecutive year, due partly to the state policy to boost investment, especially in the electric vehicle (EV) segment. Bangkok Post
8. Tourist arrival year-to-date topped 23.6m, keeps 36.7m target this year.
9. The Revenue Department is amending the law to require foreign online vendors to register in the VAT system.: Foreign vendors must now register. The Revenue Department wants to bring foreign online vendors into its tax base. The Revenue Department is amending the law to require foreign online platforms to register as vendors in the value-added tax (VAT) system. Bangkok Post
10. Temu’s presence could intensify price war: Cube Asia’s insights point to new chapter. Temu, an ecommerce platform owned by China’s PDD Holdings, on a mobile phone displayed in front of the company’s website. While it’s too early to gauge Chinese e-commerce giant Temu’s long-term impact on the e-commerce market in Thailand and the region, sellers may need to prepare for another price war, says market analytics firm Cube Asia. Bangkok Post

Bonus 5

1. Gunkul banking on new PDP: Gunkul expects to increase revenue from its rooftop solar power business in addition to benefiting from more renewable power development under the PDP. SET-listed Gunkul Engineering, a renewable energy developer and construction firm, expects its revenue to double, reaching 20 billion baht by 2030, thanks to the new power development plan (PDP) that promotes greater use of clean power. Bangkok Post
2. Fin Min permanent secretary said Vayupak Fund to open for retail subscription Sept 16-20, Insti from 18-20 with guarantees on principal and return, expecting Bt150b in size and listing on Oct 1, Tabloid.
3. Ministry sees windfall from state projects: More than B300bn expected in Q4. The Finance Ministry expects more than 300 billion baht from government projects will be injected into the economy during the final quarter this year, pushing GDP growth to the anticipated range of 2.7% to 3%. Bangkok Post
4. Bad loans expected to hit banks hard this year: The banking sector is expected to face greater pressure for the remainder of the year as asset quality continues to deteriorate, with the new government seeking to lower lending rates, while risks from bad personal loan and credit card debt rise, say analysts. Bangkok Post
5. Inflation inches up 0.35% in August: The CPI in August increased by 0.07% month-on-month, largely attributed to a 0.79% gain in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category. Inflation increased by 0.35% in August, driven by rising prices of fresh vegetables and fruit as a result of production areas damaged by floods. Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, directorgeneral of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), said headline inflation in August rose by 0.35% year-on-year because of rising food prices, especially fresh vegetables and fruit as flooding affected some agricultural areas and decreased crop yields. Bangkok Post