Restaurants among top 3 business closures in H1 2026

Thansettakij•Economy•6d ago

Reader Briefing

Restaurant businesses are among the top three categories with the highest number of closures in the first half of 2026 due to rising costs and weakening purchasing power.

•The Department of Business Development reported 7,024 business closures in the first half of 2026.
•Restaurants are one of the top three business types closing, alongside general building construction and real estate.
•The Thai Restaurant Association highlights rising rents, labor costs, and reduced spending per head as primary pressures.
•New restaurant registrations increased by 15.67% in the first half of 2026, totaling 2,119 cases.

Overview

•The Department of Business Development recorded 7,024 business closures in the first half of 2026, a 12.49% increase from the previous year.
•Total registered capital of businesses that closed in the first half of 2026 was 98,857 million baht, an increase of 224%.
•Thanivan Kulmongkol states that restaurants face higher costs for rent, labor, and raw materials, while unable to fully raise prices due to weakening consumer purchasing power.
•Consumer spending per head in some mall restaurants has dropped from 500-700 baht to approximately 200 baht.
•Thanivan Kulmongkol notes that some restaurants are considering returning leased spaces in malls due to insufficient sales to cover rent.
•Thanivan Kulmongkol views the Thai Chuay Thai Plus measure as helpful for small operators, though its conclusion in September may return pressure to sales.
•Thanivan Kulmongkol predicts the final four months of 2026 will likely be worse than the previous year due to global economic uncertainty and costs.
•Thanivan Kulmongkol advises restaurant operators to adjust cost structures, modify menus, and control raw materials to survive.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Thansettakij (Original)

Key Quotes

Thanivan Kulmongkol

"Restaurants in malls are struggling now because income is unstable, but rent must be paid every month."

ร้านที่อยู่ในห้างตอนนี้ลำบาก เพราะรายได้ไม่เสถียร แต่ค่าเช่าต้องจ่ายทุกเดือน

Key Entities

Person

Thanivan Kulmongkol(ฐนิวรรณ กุลมงคล)

President of the Thai Restaurant Association.

Organization

Thai Restaurant Association(สมาคมภัตตาคารไทย)

An association representing the restaurant business sector in Thailand.

Department of Business Development(กรมพัฒนาธุรกิจการค้า)

A government agency (DBD) providing data on business registrations and closures.

Than Settakij(ฐานเศรษฐกิจ)

The news outlet to which Thanivan Kulmongkol provided information.

Policy

Thai Chuay Thai Plus(ไทยช่วยไทย Plus)

A government spending stimulus measure intended to help restaurant operators.