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Middle East Crisis Hits SME Confidence in April; OSMEP Launches Relief Projects

Middle East Crisis Hits SME Confidence in April; OSMEP Launches Relief Projects

Matichon•Economy•11h ago

Reader Briefing

SME confidence in Thailand declined in April due to Middle East conflict, prompting the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) to initiate two support programs.

  • •SME Sentiment Index (SMESI) fell to 46.0 in April 2026, largely due to the Middle East conflict impacting energy and transportation costs.
  • •The decline in confidence was observed across all regions and business sectors, with manufacturing, trade, and services all below the 50 threshold.
  • •OSMEP is launching two key projects: 'Empowering SME Thai to Move Towards the Future' focusing on digital, innovation, and green transitions, and the 'SME National Awards' for management standard enhancement.
  • •Future outlook remains cautious, with entrepreneurs concerned about economic uncertainty and rising costs, despite current order levels.
  • •The government aims to support SMEs through cost management, liquidity, market expansion, productivity enhancement, and technological adjustments.

Overview

  • •N.S. Panita Chinawat revealed the SME Sentiment Index (SMESI) for April 2026 surveyed 2,797 businesses.
  • •The SME Sentiment Index was at 46.0 in April 2026, a decrease from the previous month.
  • •The primary factor pressuring confidence stemmed from the Middle East conflict, impacting energy costs, transportation, and raw material prices.
  • •The cost index stood at 33.6, down 3.7 points from the previous month, directly affecting entrepreneurs' profits.
  • •The production volume index decreased by 3.1 points, reflecting the impact of increased costs.
  • •All regions experienced confidence levels below the baseline, with the Eastern and Southern regions showing the lowest.
  • •OSMEP is proceeding with two key projects: 'Empowering SME Thai to Move Towards the Future' and 'SME National Awards' to lift SME potential.
  • •The 'Empowering SME Thai' project will offer in-depth analysis and development focusing on Digital, Innovation, and Green Transitions for 38 selected SMEs.
  • •The 'SME National Awards' project, now in its 18th year, will enhance business management standards toward Thailand Quality Award (TQA) principles for over 500 participating SMEs.

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Key Quotes

Panita Chinawat
"Middle East crisis drags SME confidence index down in April; OSMEP launches 2 projects to aid entrepreneurs."
พิษตะวันออกกลาง ฉุดดัชนีความเชื่อมั่น SME เม.ย. ร่วง สสว. ลุย 2 โครงการช่วยผู้ประกอบการ
Panita Chinawat
"Maintaining SME confidence requires multiple approaches, including cost management, liquidity enhancement, and market channel expansion."
การประคับประคองความเชื่อมั่น SME จำเป็นต้องดำเนินการควบคู่หลายด้าน ทั้งการดูแลต้นทุน การเพิ่มสภาพคล่อง การขยายช่องทางตลาด

Key Entities

Organization

OSMEP(สสว.)
The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) is launching projects to support Thai SMEs.

Person

Panita Chinawat(น.ส.ปณิตา ชินวัตร)
Acting Director of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), who released the SME Sentiment Index.

Law

SME Sentiment Index (SMESI)(SME Sentiment Index : SMESI)
A key indicator measuring the confidence of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
Thailand Quality Award (TQA)
A framework for enhancing business management standards, referenced in the SME National Awards project.

Place

Eastern Region(ภาคตะวันออก)
One of the regions in Thailand that reported the lowest SME confidence levels.
Southern Region(ภาคใต้)
One of the regions in Thailand that reported the lowest SME confidence levels.