SINGAPORE, September 07, 2026 – Despite the Middle East energy shock, growth of the Thailand’s economy has been better than expected, supported by investment, fiscal spending and technology exports. However, growth remains uneven; technology-linked sectors have expanded strongly while traditional industries, particularly the SME segments, remain weak.

The current wave of FDI- and technology-driven investment offers Thailand a major opportunity to lift its growth potential and accelerate its economic transformation. Realizing this opportunity will require proactive measures to broaden its spillovers to productivity, employment and income across the economy.

This preliminary assessment follows AMRO’s Annual Consultation Visit to Thailand from August 24 to September 4, 2026. The mission was led by Group Head and Lead Economist Allen Ng, with AMRO Director/CEO Yasuto Watanabe and Chief Economist Dong He joining policy meetings with the authorities.

Economic developments and outlook

“Growth is projected at 2.4 percent in both 2026 and 2027, supported by continued private investment, fiscal spending and technology-related exports,” said Ng. “The priority now is to harness the current investment wave to drive broader economic transformation by deepening domestic linkages, boosting productivity, creating jobs, and raising incomes.”

FDI-backed projects, particularly in digital infrastructure and electronics, continued to strengthen the investment cycle in the first half of 2026. The investment pipeline could support medium-term growth, but the benefits have yet to spread widely across domestic firms and workers.

Headline inflation is projected at 1.6 percent in 2026 and 1.3 percent in 2027. Price pressures should remain contained as the energy price increase following the Middle East conflict recedes, although cost pass-through and food prices warrant monitoring.

Risks and vulnerabilities

Risks remain tilted to the downside, as reliance on a narrow set of drivers leaves the outlook vulnerable to external and domestic shocks. A sharp slowdown in global AI and technology-related activity could weaken exports, FDI and investment, while further weakness in household incomes and vulnerable sectors could become self-reinforcing. Energy, trade and weather shocks would pose additional headwinds.

On the upside, stronger external demand and investment activity, alongside wider domestic spillovers could lift growth above the baseline.

Source : Thailand: From Investment-Led Growth to Broad-Based Transformation – ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office – AMRO ASIA

KANSAS CITY — Companies are expanding classic brand portfolios with innovations.

The Campbell’s Co. is adding electrolytes to its V8 Energy line. The beverage line is offered in drink mix sticks and ready-to-drink canned formats. The drink mixes contain magnesium and vitamins A, C, E and B. The canned beverages are formulated with potassium, electrolytes and B vitamins. Both formats are available in lemon lime, strawberry passionfruit and white peach flavors, and each flavor contains 80 mg of caffeine.

The Hershey Co. is adding creme-filled chocolate bars to its Hershey candy bar line. Hershey’s Creme Bars are available in salted caramel and affogato varieties.

Mars, Inc. is innovating its Pringles line with Pringles Dippers. The chip innovation is a thicker, sturdier and wavier crisp intended for dipping, according to the company. The chips are offered in flavors such as original, french onion and bacon cheddar.

“We know it can be frustrating if your typical salty dipping vessel prevents your perfect scoop or breaks as you dip, which is why we’ve created Pringles Dippers,” said Eileen Flaherty-Yao, senior director of salty, Mars Snacking North America. “Our iconic parabolic shape is now thicker and wavier than ever — built to handle any dipping style from light dips to heavy scoops.” 

View slideshow of more new products on the shelves

‘Warwick Mill is an important landmark in Middleton and serves as a striking visual reminder of the area’s rich history’

Middleton’s historic Warwick Mill is to be bought by the council.

The Grade-II listed building, built in 1907, is an eyesore in the town and has sat empty for a decade. A number of schemes to breathe new life into the site have been mooted in recent years, but have never come to fruition.

With the mill deteriorating further, town hall bosses have made the decision to buy the land in order to push through redevelopment. It is understood the site would be transformed into housing, complimenting the impending regeneration of the town.

Middleton is set to become the centre of a huge redevelopment project, driven by the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC). Responses from a recent consultation that will shape the MDC’s vision for the area’s future galvanised the council’s decision on the historic site.

The Warwick Mill announcement was made at an event at Middleton Arena to bring the community together and update them on the ‘our town, our future’ engagement exercise and the formation of the MDC. The site purchase includes the London House building next door to Warwick Mill, which Rochdale council leader Neil Emmottt said would be demolished before Christmas.

The town hall boss also announced £750,000 of the government’s Pride in Place funding will go towards the maintenance and repair of the mill itself, which is rapidly deteriorating.

Coun Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Warwick Mill is an important landmark in Middleton and serves as a striking visual reminder of the area’s rich history as a major player in the global cotton trade. It also represents a huge regeneration opportunity and a chance to really revitalise this key part of the town centre.

“Middleton’s MDC will be based on cooperative values, with the community, businesses, voluntary sector, council and GMCA all working together to bring about positive changes. The desire to bring Warwick Mill back into use came through very clearly in the engagement exercise and we’ve responded to this.

“We’re keen to honour Middleton’s proud heritage as we continue to forge a new and exciting future for this special place.”

The event in Middleton Arena, which was attended by Steve Coogan, Rose Marley and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig gave residents an insight into what people had said they wanted to see in Middleton, and, crucially, what the next steps will be.

Rose Marley, co-chair of Middleton Co-operative Mayoral Development Corporation, said: “More than 2,000 people gave their time to Our Town, Our Future – the biggest conversation Middleton has ever had about its own future. What came back was clear: people want to see regeneration done with Middleton, not to Middleton.

“That’s what this event was about. Middleton people, Middleton businesses, Rochdale Borough Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, all pulling in the same direction. Co-operation at every level, from local government to the family who filled in a survey on their phone.

“The Middleton Co-operative Mayoral Development Corporation will help to carry that mandate forward: into the town’s housing, transport, green spaces and public buildings – Warwick Mill among them – and into every decision still to be made. This is co-operation in its truest sense, and it’s how Middleton’s future should be built.”

A feasibility study to determine future uses for the building is ongoing and the community will be consulted on final plans for the building.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

The event will be situated in Lower Gardens and will run alongside other festive events

A proposal has been unveiled to stage an annual winter wonderland event in Bournemouth over the next five years. Plans reveal that the Christmas winter wonderland is set to feature a host of festive attractions, including a walkthrough Christmas tree display, a Christmas tree maze, Wonderland Tipis, an Alpine Chalet, a Christmas train, games stalls, and a variety of Christmas rides.

The event will be situated in Bournemouth Lower Gardens and will run alongside the existing Christmas market and other seasonal events in Bournemouth Square and Pier Approach, bolstering the town centre’s winter tourism and leisure offering.

Documents indicate that the festive event has been running on an annual basis and will remain a key draw for both local residents and visitors.

A design and access statement confirms that the ice rink will operate with nine skating sessions per day, seven days a week, across an anticipated eight-week period, excluding Christmas Day.

In a pre-application enquiry submitted to BCP Council, the principle of such temporary Christmas installations, including an ice rink, was considered “well established” and garnered support from relevant policies on leisure, tourism, and town-centre activities.

According to the documents, the council indicated that should satisfactory supporting information be provided, the subsequent planning application would likely receive officer backing.

Additionally, the council noted that as the proposal constitutes a temporary development, it would be exempt from the statutory BNG requirement, provided all relevant criteria are satisfied.

Last year, Bournemouth Christmas Events lodged a planning application in June 2025 with BCP Council for a temporary Christmas event, which would feature an ice rink, alpine chalet and games stall.

Initially, the decision on the proposals was set to be made by officers, however, following the felling of a cherry tree — which triggered a ‘strange quirk’ in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation — the proposal was referred to committee with a recommendation to refuse.

BCP’s eastern planning committee opted to refer the application back to officers, affording the applicant additional time to address outstanding issues relating to BNG.

BCP Council had not reached a formal decision on the application before it was withdrawn on January 7 this year, following the conclusion of the event.

The event is anticipated to run from mid-November through to the beginning of January, with precise dates subject to approval.

The plans are currently out for consultation until October 2.

Oil prices climbed for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, rising more than $1 in early trade after Iran launched fresh attacks on U.S. military assets in the Gulf, as the conflict between Washington and Tehran continued to spread across the region.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they attacked two U.S. destroyers and what they described as a U.S. base in Jordan’s Al Azraq using ballistic missiles. The attacks were carried out in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iranian oil tankers.

Crude oil price on September 9

Brent crude futures gained $1.57, or 1.6%, to $99.49 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.60, or 1.72%, to $94.63 a barrel. Brent has risen by a quarter since early August as hopes of a permanent resolution to the six-month-old war have weakened and fighting has intensified again.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue targeting Iranian oil tankers in response to attempted attacks on U.S. warships. “Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia.

U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday that its forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on September 8 following attempted missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship over the previous two days.

Jordan’s air-defence systems intercepted 18 of the 20 ballistic missiles launched from Iranian territory, while the other two fell in unpopulated areas, according to the country’s state news agency, which cited the military. No casualties were reported.

Where are prices headed?

Goldman Sachs has warned that oil prices could reach as high as $120 a barrel if attacks on shipping in the Middle East intensify, with the renewed hostilities raising concerns about disruptions to crude supplies.Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said in an interview with Bloomberg that recent developments indicated that the risk of wider and more severe shipping disruptions had become an important concern.

Struyven said Goldman Sachs sees “meaningful upside to crude oil prices”, while also suggesting that investors should bet on higher natural gas and refined product prices. He said the supply shocks in gas and fuels are larger than those in the crude market.

The duration of the disruption will be critical for the oil market. JPMorgan estimates that every additional month of disruption could add around $7 to $8 a barrel to Brent prices. If the disruption lasts three months, the bank expects average monthly Brent prices to reach around $114 a barrel.

Citi has raised its average Brent crude price forecast for the third quarter to $86 a barrel from $80, pointing to a longer-than-expected timeline for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

ANZ analysts have also increased their short-term Brent forecast to $95 a barrel and warned that prices could rise further if the Middle East conflict escalates. They said a prolonged standoff involving calibrated military action by the U.S. and Iran appeared to be the most likely scenario, potentially delaying the return of full Middle East supply.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Thai economy in July grew with support from global technology and AI cycle, calm from Middle East conflict, and government stimulus. Exports, tourism, consumption, manufacturing, and government spending showed positive trends. Key issues to watch are technology cycle sustainability, geopolitical conflicts, tourism recovery, government measures, and El Niño impact.

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Summary

• The Thai economy in July expanded from the previous month, supported by the ongoing global technology and artificial intelligence (AI) cycle, the easing of disruptions from the Middle East conflict, and government stimulus measures.

  o Merchandise exports continued to expand, driven primarily by electronics products. Meanwhile, private investment softened following strong growth in the previous period.

  o Tourism receipts and foreign tourist arrivals increased, mainly supported by the gradual recovery in flight capacity, particularly on long-haul routes.

  o Private consumption increased, driven by higher spending on services, supported by government measures and improved domestic tourism activity during the extended holiday period.

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  o Manufacturing and service activities improved, in line with higher merchandise exports and tourism activity.

  o Government expenditure expanded, driven by higher disbursements by both the central government and state-owned enterprises.

• Headline inflation declined, mainly due to lower energy prices, while core inflation increased slightly, reflecting the gradual pass-through of higher costs to consumer prices.
• Key issues to monitor: (1) the sustainability of the global technology and artificial intelligence cycle, (2) developments in geopolitical conflicts and international trade protectionist policies, (3) the recovery of the tourism sector, (4) the impact of government measures, and (5) El Niño developments.

Source : https://www.bot.or.th/en/news-and-media/news/news-20260831.html