Thailand

In conjunction with BDO Advisory, OBG explores the taxation system. Andrew Jackomos and Paul Ashburn, Senior Partners at BDO Advisory, share a viewpoint on preparing for implementation of the AEC.

Thailand’s media sector has seen liberalisation on paper, with the passage of several laws to increase press freedom and competition. At the same time, a March 2012 decision to renew state agencies’ control of broadcast frequencies, and the restrictive 2007 Computer Crimes Act, suggest that media freedom in Thailand has a long way to go. Regardless, the sector is growing on the strength of...

Economic growth, government price support for agricultural commodities, and stimulus programmes have all contributed to robust retail growth over the past several years. Modern hypermarkets such as Tesco Lotus and Big C continue to dominate the sector, although popular criticisms of their hegemony have prompted a Retail Act that if passed would restrict their expansion. The mall sector is...

With one in every three Thais making their living in the sector, agriculture is key to the country’s social makeup, even if its importance to the formal economy has diminished. The growth of industry has helped transform agriculture, and agro-manufacturing exports like processed sugars and cereals, and canned fish and fruit are multibillion dollar industries. Rice is the traditional staple, but a...

The education system will need serious improvement if it is to break out of the classic “middle-income trap”. Reforms on the table call for a move to learner-centred teaching and greater use of IT in the classroom, including a “One Tablet Per Child” programme. Neither will be a panacea; observers cite a chronic disregard of secondary education in favour of funding the primary and tertiary sectors...

Thailand, already a tourism powerhouse, is expected to see a 6.4% annual growth of tourism’s contribution to GDP through 2020, outpacing the world average. The country will benefit from the economic development of nearby China and India, where outbound tourism is exploding. Thailand’s hope for the medium-term is to boost per-visitor revenue, encouraging luxury tourism without damaging its...