• Foreign tourist arrivals rose 2.9% in the week ended April 6 to 601,616 vs previous week, despite concerns that the massive Mar 28 Myanmar earthquake that severely shook BKK, bringing total YTD to 10.1m, up 1.8% yoy, generating Bt486.6b of revenue: Tourism Ministry.
• Asean nations plan tariff talks with US: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country is among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) partners sending officials to Washington DC for talks following President Donald Trump’s rollout of global tariffs. Bangkok Post
• Headwinds to hinder GDP growth: Research houses slash Thai outlook for this year based on tariffs, earthquake. Thailand’s economic headwinds are expected to drag down GDP growth to between 1.2- 1.4% this year, while the Bank of Thailand is anticipated to cut its policy rate to 1.25% by next year, according to local research houses. Bangkok Post
• Small companies will find it harder to raise funds in the local bond market, as investors focus on high credit ratings.: The Thai Bond Market Association (ThaiBMA) projects the value of corporate bond issuance will range between 850-900 billion baht in 2025, similar to the previous year, amid the economic slowdown and impacts from the recent earthquake. The reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump last week may impact property developers, potentially leading to credit rating downgrades. Bangkok Post
• Small Thai firms at risk from cheap Chinese goods: A revived US-China trade war as a result of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs is putting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at risk as the dispute between the world’s largest economies will intensify the influx of cheap Chinese products into the Thai market, says the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). Bangkok Post
• Circuit breakers at the ready: US tariffs lead to steep price declines. The Thai stock market rebounded yesterday after falling 4.50% on Tuesday and 3.15% last Friday. The bourse was closed on Monday for a national holiday. The Stock Exchange of Thailand is monitoring the trade war and is ready to deploy circuit breakers should the situation worsen. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) says it is monitoring the escalating trade war and stands ready to deploy circuit breakers should the situation worsen. Bangkok Post
• Rejection rates set to persist: Housing sector looks to relaxed LTV limits. Banks and developers anticipate mortgage rejection rates remaining elevated amid persistent global economic headwinds. Mortgage rejection rates are anticipated to remain elevated due to persistent global economic headwinds, though eased loan-to-value (LTV) limits and lower fees may help support a recovery in the housing market, according to banks and developers. Bangkok Post
• Thai economy put at risk by surge in zero-dollar exports: The government is being urged to address zero-dollar exports and investments from China, as they are expected to intensify due to the US tariff measures. Bangkok Post

Bonus 3

• IMF pushes for stronger Thai financial security: Protections could ease household debt. The IMF says Thai households are vulnerable to economic shocks and income disruptions, often needing to borrow to cover their basic living expenses. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging Thailand to strengthen household financial security to mitigate the country’s persistently high household debt. Bangkok Post
• Trading measures lifted next week: The government plans to lift temporary measures to reduce volatility on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) and the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) on April 16. Three measures have been implemented since April 8. First, the ceiling and floor prices were halved. For example, for ordinary stocks the fluctuation range was reduced from ±30% to ±15%. The price range returns to ±30% as before on April 16. Bangkok Post
• THB20 Flat Fare: The Bt20 flat fare for all electric train lines will take effect on September 30 this year. Thai passengers must register via the Tang Rat app and link their existing EMV contactless cards (Europay, Mastercard, or Visa) or transit cards such as Rabbit or MRT Plus during registration.