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The Thai telecom market is changing quickly. 4G has been introduced and a new player may now be competing, bringing the total number of major operators to four. In the short term, telecoms must pay for their spectrum, and going out they will be developing their networks and building their customer bases. This is sure to be a challenge in terms of fund-raising and profitability, and it seems that creative solutions in terms of infrastructure sharing and financing are on the cards. A convergence of factors, including the rollout of 4G nationwide, government support and better user understanding of the offerings is resulting in improved IT and telecoms infrastructure and increased demand.

In 2015 the construction sector grew by 15.8%, a significant improvement over 0.1% in 2013 and 3.7% in 2014, and the industry contributed 2.8% to GDP. Residential projects accounted for 66% of total construction area permitted in 2015, while industrial projects made up 16% of the total. Continued economic expansion, rising demand for housing and, most importantly, renewed government investment levels in public infrastructure are projected to be the main drivers of growth. In addition, the government’s tax incentives intended to attract investment from foreign companies in agriculture, renewable and alternative energies, IT and tourism should also augment construction works. Continued economic growth and Bangkok’s attractiveness to foreign businesses and individuals should sustain property demand going forward, even with new stock across all subsectors set to hit the market in the coming years. This chapter contains interviews with Kan Trakulhoon, Chairman of the Management Advisory Committee and Former President, Siam Group; and Polpat Karnasuta, President, Nawarat Patanakarn.

Thailand is quickly transforming from a country with transportation challenges to one that is becoming a leader in the region, and a possible logistics centre for ASEAN. The country’s air regulators are focusing on regaining the country’s top-grade assessments and have been working to remove weaker discount carriers. Thai Airways is also restructuring, and airports are being upgraded, enlarged and improved. Most importantly, the country’s leaders are calling for significant investments into infrastructure, much of it fast-tracked so that real, tangible results may be achieved within a few years. This chapter contains interviews with Prajin Juntong, Deputy Prime Minister, and Sutthinan Hutthawong, Director-General, Port Authority of Thailand; and a dialogue with Charamporn Jotikasthira, President, Thai Airways International and Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, President, Bangkok Airways.

Thailand is quickly transforming from a country with transportation challenges to one that is becoming a leader in the region, and a possible logistics centre for ASEAN. The country’s air regulators are focusing on regaining the country’s top-grade assessments and have been working to remove weaker discount carriers. Thai Airways is also restructuring, and airports are being upgraded, enlarged and improved. Most importantly, the country’s leaders are calling for significant investments into infrastructure, much of it fast-tracked so that real, tangible results may be achieved within a few years. This chapter contains interviews with Prajin Juntong, Deputy Prime Minister, and Sutthinan Hutthawong, Director-General, Port Authority of Thailand; and a dialogue with Charamporn Jotikasthira, President, Thai Airways International and Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, President, Bangkok Airways.

Having already established itself as a manufacturing hub within South-east Asia, Thailand’s industrial sector is looking to further differentiate itself from other countries by moving up the value chain and expand its capabilities to produce greater value-added products in a variety of modern industries. This strategy seeks to spur industries to progress up the technology ladder from established industries already operating in Thailand. Solid economic growth averaging roughly 4% annually since 2000 along with the country’s solid industrial and export base has fuelled a steady rise in domestic income across all income levels over the past decade and a half, leading directly to a rise in consumer spending power. Assuming a stable political environment going forward, Thailand’s retail sector as a whole is expected to continue its upward trajectory, which was interrupted briefly by unforeseen events in 2014 and 2015, with the EIU forecasting annual sales volume growth for the sector of 3.6%, 3.4% and 4.3%, respectively for 2015-18. This chapter contains interviews with Mark Kaufman, President, Ford ASEAN; Chadatip Chutrakul, CEO, Siam Piwat and Siam Paragon Development; and Supaluck Umpujh, Vice-Chairwoman, The Mall Group.

Providing the fuel for Thailand’s economic growth engine, the energy sector continues to expand to meet the growing demands of the country. Domestic primary energy consumption is weighted heavily towards fossil fuels, which accounted for 98% of primary energy consumption in 2014. Natural gas has become the fulcrum upon which energy development is now focused in both the hydrocarbons and electricity segments, with the fuel representing 44% of total primary energy usage. In the electricity segment, the concerted strategic shift away from imported fossil fuels towards energy diversification and independence should lead to ample growth in non-hydropower renewable energy and clean coal-fired generation, along with a more limited ongoing expansion in gas-fired power plants. This chapter contains an interview with Veerasak Pungrassamee, Director-General, Department of Mineral Fuels.