Thai hotel sector faces rising closures after widespread losses

Thai hotel closures rose 42% in the first nine months of 2026 after 51% of operators posted losses in 2025, with KResearch warning of further pressure in 2027.

Thailand’s hotel and accommodation sector is facing mounting pressure from weak tourism demand, rising competition and high operating costs, with business closures accelerating after more than half of operators reported losses last year.

KASIKORN RESEARCH CENTER (KResearch) said 148 hotel and accommodation businesses registered their closure during the first nine months of 2026, up 42% from the same period a year earlier.

Meanwhile, about 51% of operators recorded losses in 2025, with smaller businesses the most vulnerable. Around 54% of small operators were loss-making, while 42% had accumulated losses for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025. Overall, 38% of hotel and accommodation operators recorded accumulated losses throughout the three-year period.

KResearch warned that the outlook for 2027 remained highly uncertain as the tourism recovery stays uneven, competition intensifies and operating costs face further upward pressure.

Hotel market grows, but recovery remains uneven
Thailand’s hotel and accommodation market is expected to be worth about THB1.1 trillion in 2026, up 2.6% from 2025.

Accommodation accounts for about 77% of sector revenue, with the remaining 23% coming from areas including catering, meetings, seminars, food and beverages.

The industry comprises about 15,000 operators, more than 98% of them small and medium-sized businesses, and employs around 430,000 people. Its market value is equivalent to about 5.7% of Thailand’s gross domestic product at current prices, according to KResearch.

Despite overall revenue growth supported by international meetings and conferences and continued domestic travel, the recovery has not been evenly distributed.

New business registrations also slowed. A total of 779 hotel and accommodation businesses were established during the first nine months, down 31.2% year on year, although the figure remained above the comparable level in 2024.

Source: TheNation 

Expat Insider 2023 Survey Reveals: The Best & Worst Destinations for Living and Working Abroad, Thailand is 6th

 Thailand

InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with more than 4.8 million members, has published the latest results of its annual Expat Insider survey. This year also marks the survey’s 10th anniversary. With more than 12,000 respondents, Expat Insider is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad. It provides insights into expat life in 53 destinations, offering in-depth information on the respondents’ satisfaction with their respective countries in these five indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and the Expat Essentials Index.

Expats Enjoy an Affordable Life in Thailand 

Thailand ranks 6th out of 53 destinations in the Expat Insider 2023 survey. Cost-conscious ex-pats appreciate Thailand for its readily available and affordable housing (1st), as well as the affordable lifestyle it generally offers. The country ranks 4th in the Personal Finance Index. However, there is still room for improvement regarding Work Culture & Satisfaction (46th) and Safety & Security (45th). All in all, 86% say they are happy with their life in Thailand, compared to a global average of 72%. 

The Best & Worst Destinations for Expats in 2023

Out of 53 destinations in the Expat Insider 2023 survey, Mexico (1st), Spain, Panama, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Bahrain, and Portugal (10th) are the best places for expats in 2023. On the other hand, expats consider Kuwait (53rd), Norway, Türkiye, South Korea, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, and Japan (44th) as the worst destinations for expats.

Source - Pattaya News

Read more on Expat Insider

Global food prices heading to record high

Global food costs jumped last month, extending a march toward a record and piling more inflationary pressure on consumers and governments.
A United Nations index tracking staples from wheat to vegetable oils climbed 3% to a fresh decade high in October, threatening even higher grocery bills for households that have already been strained by the pandemic.

That could also add to central banks’ inflation worries and risks worsening global hunger that’s at a multiyear high.

Bad weather hit harvests around the world this year, freight costs soared and labor shortages have roiled the food supply chain from farms to supermarkets.

An energy crisis has also proved a headache, forcing vegetable greenhouses to go dark and causing a knock-on risk of bigger fertilizer bills for farmers.

“The issue with the inputs and fertilizers and its implications for next year’s crop is a concern,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior economist at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. “By now, the market has factored in most of the supply and demand issues. But the market has by no means factored in next year’s prospects in production.”

Some regions will likely continue to face food-security challenges. The UN on Thursday raised its outlook for global wheat trade to a record as purchases climb in Middle Eastern nations from Iran to Afghanistan. Droughts there slashed crops, boosting dependency on imported grain at a time when prices are soaring.

“This came at the worst time for those countries because world prices are just so high,” Abbassian said. “We cannot afford a bad year in 2022 for important crops.”

The price gains are stirring memories of spikes in 2008 and 2011 that contributed to global food crises. While it takes time for commodity costs to trickle to grocery shelves, officials in areas like North Africa and Turkey are already facing difficulties shielding shoppers from the blow.

Bigger expenses for farmers could also curb Northern Hemisphere plantings now underway, according to the FAO.

October’s food-price gains were mostly driven by higher costs for grains and vegetable oils, the FAO said in a report.

Still, there are signs of stabilizing prices for some foods, with with meat and sugar falling last month, Abbassian said. Global grain and oilseed supplies are proving sufficient to meet demand, and prices for rice — one of the world’s vital staples — remain subdued, he said.

“On the demand side, we’re beginning to get a better hold of what we actually need, so that uncertainty is perhaps diminishing,” he said. – Bloomberg

Source - BangkokJack

VISA AGENT  /  How to register for: THAI PASS

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#Paypal

PayPal for money transfer

But how to use ?

 

You must first know PayPal use standard American Dollar.

 

PayPal is not the cheapest online banking system, but is trustful and easy to use.

 

But it's good to inform your customers how the pay you.

 

The best way your customers pay you in Dollars.

 

Example:

 

You live in Thailand and someone want to pay you, inform the pay you in Dollars.

 

An American want pay you, inform him NOT to pay in Thai Baht.

 

Why ?

 

When someone pay you in Thai Baht, Paypal change it automatic in their standard payment system.

 

The change your payment automatic in their Dollars, and charge fees and give you the the lowest rates.

 

You want transfer your money from Paypal to your Thai Bank

 

Ok, But transfer your money to your Thai Bank in Dollars

 

PayPal charge you only fees for the Transfer, and your Thai bank change your payment automatic in Thai Baht and not charge any fees or cost.