1. BAM wants to be careful with bad asset purchases: SET-listed Bangkok Commercial Asset Management (BAM) expects non-performing loans (NPLs) in the banking sector to increase next year, though the company will remain cautious with bad debt purchases given ongoing economic uncertainties. Bangkok Post
2. Slumping domestic car sales have EV producers monitoring costs.: Slow domestic sales could affec ct manufacturing plans for electric cars s, while producers are advised to control c osts, A slowdown in domestic car sales is causing apprehension in the EV industry. Sluggish domestic car sales could have a negative impact on the country’s fledging electric vehicle (EV) industry, despite an upward trend in EV usage. EV manufacturers, particularly Chinese companies, are monitoring EV sales in Thailand, which are encountering several problems ranging from slow economic growth and high household debt to the EV price war. Bangkok Post
3. Director General, Dept of Rail Transport revealed that total ridership on Fri (Nov 15), Loy Kra Thong festive, +4.15% yoy to 1,979,601 trips: BEM blue line logged 558,165 trips the highest since began services, BTS logged 1,126,396 trips (Green, Gold, Yellow and Pink).
4. Authorities promise to give rice farmers a fair deal: Mr Pichai said Thailand exported 8.37 million tonnes of rice in the first 10 months of this year, up 22% year-on-year. The Commerce Ministry is monitoring the new harvest season of paddy rice, with a plan to implement support measures as approved by the National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC) to help farmers. Wittayakorn Maneenetr, a spokesman for the Commerce Ministry, said the Internal Trade Department is monitoring the price of paddy rice for the 2024/25 harvest. Bangkok Post
5. TH residential property sales -7.4% to 250,580 units during 9M24, Thais purchased 239,532 units between Jan-Sept -7.8% yoy. Sales expected to rise 3.7% next year from economic stimulus & support measures or the sector, according to Real Estate Information Center, a property research unit owned by Government Housing Bank (GHB).
6. Elderly to get handout by Chinese New Year: 4m will get B10k as Year of Snake starts. The government will distribute financial assistance to the elderly under the second phase of its cash handout scheme by Chinese New Year, which starts at the end of January. Bangkok Post
7. Ministry plans to convert THAI debt: Airline seeks new capital injection. The Finance Ministry is set to convert Thai Airways International’s (THAI) debt into equity, with a proposal expected to be submitted to the cabinet this month as part of a plan to increase the company’s capital. Bangkok Post
8. Association bullish on growth of TESG funds: Roughly 50 could be available by year-end. The Association of Investment Management Companies (AIMC) expects around 50 Thai ESG (TESG) funds to be available by year-end, attracting new fund inflows of more than 25 billion baht, increasing assets under management (AUM) in such funds to 37 billion baht. Bangkok Post
9. PTT plans to separate from its life science subsidiary Innobic, seeking new partners by early next.: Energy company aims to find new partners. LNG trade is among the businesses tipped to have a positive business outlook next year, according to PTT’s estimates. National oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc is likely to spin off its life science subsidiary Innobic (Asia), enabling the firm to be more financially independent as it seeks to make significant changes to its diversified businesses. Bangkok Post
10. Foreign arrivals YT-mid Nov reached >30.56m, +29% yoy, on course to meet the full-year target of 36.7m.

Bonus 6

1. Nissan to cut or transfer about 1k jobs in TH by Sept 2025 as part of plan to cut global workforce by 9k jobs to curb costs.
2. BOT’s Financial Institution Supervision voice concern on plan to lower contribution required from banks to FIDF to 0.23% from 0.46%, outstanding Bt550b FIDF debt will be paid lower from current Bt70b annually (Bt54b principal & Bt16b interest). FIDF contribution reduction during Covid used for rescue banks’ borrowers during pandemic; whereas, this time is for household debt mgt which may create moral hazard where borrowers deliberately default debt.
3. CP boss touts ‘Switzerland of Asean’: Nation can capitalise on unique attributes. Thailand could act as the “Switzerland of Asean” to attract global investment, especially from tech behemoths, in the bipolar political environment based on the country’s neutral stance, says Suphachai Chearavanont, chief executive of conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group. Bangkok Post
4. Bad loan surge hits Thai households: NPLs increase by 14% in Q3. Non-performing loans (NPLs) in the household sector rose to 1.2 trillion baht in the third quarter of 2024, a 14% year-on-year increase, while there are growing concerns over the bad debt of small businesses, which rose 20%. Bangkok Post
5. Review of national energy stance urged: Public-private panel pushed by FTI. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has reiterated its call to the government to seriously consider its proposal of setting up a public-private committee on energy to better manage national energy, following changes in America’s energy policy under the incoming Donald Trump administration. Bangkok Post
6. Food trade to rise 5% to B700bn next year: The private sector is set to propel Thailand towards becoming a global food hub by 2026, with the value of the nation’s food trade expected to surpass 700 billion baht next year. According to Taniwan Koonmongkon, president of the Thai Restaurant Association, the value of food trade in Thailand is projected to reach 690 billion baht this year, with an anticipated growth rate of 5%, potentially exceeding 700 billion baht next year if no significant external risks emerge. Bangkok Post