Consumer Confidence Recovers, Private Sector Worries About Debt & Costs

Thansettakij•Economy•11d ago

Reader Briefing

Thai consumer confidence rose in June 2026 for the first time in four months, boosted by government stimulus, but businesses remain concerned about rising costs and debt.

•Consumer confidence improved in June 2026 due to the 'Thai Help Thai Plus' stimulus program.
•The Thai Chamber of Commerce's confidence index declined due to high production costs and living expenses.
•Businesses are worried about high household debt and SMEs' access to credit, with some facing liquidity issues.
•The government is urged to implement debt restructuring and provide low-interest loans for SMEs.

Overview

•The Consumer Confidence Index rose in June 2026, marking the first improvement in four months.
•The improvement in consumer confidence was driven by the government's 'Thai Help Thai Plus' economic stimulus measures.
•The Consumer Confidence Index reached 50.7 in June 2026, up from the previous month.
•The Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee maintained the policy interest rate at 1%.
•The Thai Chamber of Commerce's confidence index decreased to 41.4 in June 2026.
•Businesses are concerned about rising production costs, including labor wages, energy, and raw material prices.
•The high level of household debt is a concern for businesses across all regions.
•The Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates Thailand's GDP growth at 2.0-2.5% for 2026, expecting a clear recovery in late Q3 and Q4.

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Key Quotes

Thanawan Polvichai

"The business sector urges the government to accelerate debt restructuring measures and help SMEs access low-interest funding. They also propose energy price freezes and reduced fertilizer prices to ease agricultural costs, alongside developing IT and AI labor for technological change."

ภาคธุรกิจเรียกร้องให้รัฐบาลเร่งมาตรการปรับโครงสร้างหนี้และช่วยให้ SME เข้าถึงแหล่งเงินทุนดอกเบี้ยต่ำ พร้อมทั้งเสนอให้ตรึงราคาพลังงานและช่วยลดราคาปุ๋ยเคมีเพื่อบรรเทาต้นทุนภาคเกษตร รวมถึงการพัฒนาแรงงานด้าน IT และ AI เพื่อรองรับการเปลี่ยนแปลงเทคโนโลยี

Key Entities

Organization

Center for Economic and Business Forecasting(ศูนย์พยากรณ์เศรษฐกิจและธุรกิจ)

An organization that reports on consumer and business confidence indices in Thailand.

Thai Chamber of Commerce(หอการค้าไทย)ℹ️

The organization that publishes the business confidence index and advocates for business interests in Thailand.

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)(คณะกรรมการนโยบายการเงิน (กนง.))

The committee responsible for setting Thailand's policy interest rate.

Federation of Thai Industries(ส.อ.ท.)

An industrial organization that releases confidence indices and expresses concerns regarding the Thai economy.

SMEℹ️

Refers to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Thailand, facing challenges with liquidity and access to credit.

Law

Thai Help Thai Plus(ไทยช่วยไทยพลัส)

A government stimulus measure aimed at boosting purchasing power and economic recovery in Thailand.

Person

Thanawan Polvichai(นายธนวรรธน์ พลวิชัย)

The President of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Chief Advisor to the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting.

Dr. Att(ดร.อัทธ์)

An expert who commented on the potential impact of US-Iran conflict on Thailand's economy.