Gratitude in five baskets: Reflecting on our growth and progress after Quarter 3

AS September ends and another quarter closes, take a moment to pause with me. What are things that happened this month that left an impact on you? Which do you feel good about? Which may have ruffled you up a bit? Reflection feels simple but can be hard-yet it’s one of our most powerful tools to live with intention and presence.

To make this reflection easier, I like to think of life as five baskets-distinct but connected where growth and meaning mesh together:

Personal emotion: your inner well-being and feelings

Immediate family: spouse, children, those closest at home

Work or craft: your vocation, contribution, and purpose

Social relationships: friends, siblings, extended network

Community impact: service, outreach, influence beyond self

Each basket will feel full or empty at times. The goal is not perfection but awareness. Challenges in one basket can spark strength in another, while joys can guide healing where it is needed the most.

Often, we avoid admitting when a basket feels empty or painful. Cracks in one area can reveal beauty in another. Emotional struggles may deepen family bonds, fuel empathy in community work, or open a new creative path.

This past quarter has brought a lot of surprises, mistakes and unexpected challenges for me. Some were bruising to my personhood, yet those same challenges also brought out support and affirmation on everything I have built and stood for all these years.

Nurturing your emotional basket-through self-care and reflection-can give clarity to better support loved ones. Even when your work feels overwhelming, it may anchor your purpose and bring hope to personal or family uncertainty.

Here are practical ways to nurture gratitude and growth in your baskets, backed by research from family education and mental health experts:

Personal emotion. Keep a daily gratitude journal, listing three things-big or small-that bring you joy. Clinical studies show gratitude reduces anxiety and depression symptoms while boosting positive emotions (Emmons, R.A., and Stern, R. 2013). Gratitude is a psychotherapeutic intervention (Journal of Clinical Psychology). On tough days, note small wins-a quiet moment or kind word. Acknowledge negative feelings without judgment; self-compassion is key (Neff, K.D. 2011). Self-compassion: Stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind. Practice gratitude before sleep-this habit improves mood, sleep quality, and immune health.

Immediate family. Stick to your loving routines-greeting each other in the morning, asking how their day was. Even if you do not always get a bright answer, still celebrate the peaceful mornings or shared laughs. I have teenagers now and they can be moody at times. I still give my son the same hug and sit with him to check on his day. Reflect on what fun things you and your partner did or can do for the next months – explore a new restaurant, get a foot massage together.

Work or creative craft. At quarter’s end, reflect on tasks that brought purpose versus those that drained you. I felt so proud being able to introduce to my husband and my daughter Erik Smyth, the inventor of DEW cleaning products, powered by advanced electrolysed water technology and free from harsh chemicals, eco-friendly and certified by Allergy UK.

Social relationships. Reconnect or set dinner-dates with childhood friends. My grade school volleyball and scouting group of 4 has always offered me so much solace and strength. Exploring new friendships are great as well.

Community impact. Engage in volunteering aligned with your values; gratitude fuels sustained service. Although it seems time is always running out on me, serving the Philippine Association of National Advertisers Foundation (Pana) as their chairman this year, as well as the board of Pana has given me so much meaning and fun, being in the marketing industry all these years.

Gratitude is far more than a feel-good idea, it is therapeutic. Systematic reviews find regular gratitude practices reduce anxiety and depression while boosting holistic mental health (Wood, A.M., et al. 2010). The role of gratitude in well-being (Clinical Psychology Review). Long-term studies link higher gratitude to lower mortality rates, improved heart health, and emotional resilience (Harvard Health Publishing 2024). Gratitude enhances health, happiness and longevity.

Gratitude shifts focus outside ourselves, allowing us to have a more ‘bring it on’ attitude, rather than a defeatist one. It encourages prosocial behaviors, deepening community ties (Frontiers in Psychology 2024). Gratitude fosters community and prosocial behavior. When trained to see blessings amid struggle, we build emotional muscle-becoming more open to beauty, more forgiving of imperfections, and more patient with growth.

The greatest invitation is this: as long as we are given another breath to live each day, there is definitely something to look forward to in.doing, learning and being. Let us live this next quarter with ourselves and the people around us, not chasing perfect balance, but embracing the grace that guides us from basket to basket, one day at a time.

Continuing vicious record

There was the Pharmally scandal that happened during the Covid-19 pandemic when the head of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), Lloyd Christopher Lao, who had previously worked at the Office of Presidential Assistant Bong Go, awarded government contracts totaling P11.5 billion to a very undercapitalized (P625,000) Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. The contracts were to supply face masks and shields, test kits, personal protection equipment (PPEs) and related items for the Covid-19 protection program.

There were clear irregularities in the procurement and delivery process. The COA flagged the transactions. The supplies were overpriced and/or defective and/or old/mislabeled inventories.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon conducted a probe that President Rodrigo Duterte openly opposed and blocked. Gordon concluded there was wrongdoing but his colleagues in the Senate refused to sign the Committee Report.

Nevertheless, the Ombudsman filed cases against several defendants led by Lloyd Christopher Lao.

The financing of these anomalous Pharmally transactions was traced to and facilitated by Michael Yang, the former Presidential Economic Adviser to then President Rodrigo Duterte.

Status: the Sandiganbayan has ruled to proceed with the graft case after being detoured by motions to quash, which were deemed finally on September 8, 2025.

Then there was Mary Grace Piattos. The Office of the Vice President Sara Duterte was allotted confidential and intelligence funds in the 2023 national budget in the amount of P125 million. More, if we include the intelligence funds allotted to the Department of Education which she then headed.

In the only accounting she made for the use of funds (in an incredibly short period of 11 days) she reported as recipients various fictitious or dubious names that were obviously from popular brands of snack foods. The House of Representatives, after public hearings, voted to use this as one of the grounds for her impeachment. The Senate, as impeachment court, delayed the proceedings. The case was brought to the Supreme Court, which declared the House’s impeachment process defective and unconstitutional.

Status: A Motion for Reconsideration has been filed and is pending, alleging that the Supreme Court decision was made on the basis of a wrong understanding of certain vital facts. An impressive group of legal luminaries (past Supreme Court Justices, members of the Constitutional Convention, several lawyer associations and law schools) have disagreed with the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision.

And now, the President of the Philippines himself, in his latest SONA, brings to the attention of Filipinos, the monstrous scandal of corruption in the granting of government flood control projects through criminal manipulations in the national budget process.

Responding to the loud public outcry for accountability, the President has formed an Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate and recommend measures to enforce such accountability.

Meantime, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is conducting public hearings on these flood control projects, and is discovering the involvement of legislators, government officials, contractors and more. The House of Representatives has suspended its own investigations.

Meantime, the NBI has recommended the prosecution of 21 persons related to flood control projects including incumbent and past senators, congressmen, contractors and government engineers.

The revelations are dramatically unfolding in the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson.

Meantime, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, appointed to the ICI as adviser, has suddenly resigned, after Malacañang announced they would review if he had a possible conflict of interest (he denies this), since the suspected criminal contractor Discaya had reported infrastructure project contracts with Baguio City. Malacañang had signaled its less-than-full trust, so the honorable thing to do was resign.

We Filipinos are all in the maw of all-engulfing darkness as we are witnessing revelations that for so long our own government leaders, officials and bureaucracy in conspiracy with public work contractors have been stealing public funds through various dubious schemes of ‘ghost’ non-existing projects, sub-standard and unfinished projects, over-pricing and money diversions to private pockets.

We have been betrayed, abused and raped by our senators, congressmen and public officials.

We are sinking in the cesspool of their excrement.

Nigeria at 65: A nation too old to be this broken

There is an African proverb that says, ‘The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.’ At 65, Nigeria embodies that warning. It is a country that dazzles abroad but stumbles at home. Nigerians shine in Ivy League classrooms, Silicon Valley start-ups, Nollywood studios, and global laboratories. Yet, within its own borders, the so-called giant of Africa often lies prostrate, a giant in name but a dwarf in practice.

‘Governance treats Nigerians as obstacles to be managed, not citizens to be served. But governance rooted in care is not sentimentality; it is strategy. A government that guarantees education, health, and housing earns legitimacy.’

This contradiction encapsulates Nigeria’s narrative of independence: as a concept, the nation is significant; as an experiential reality, it falters. Every generation seems to know what must be done, but too many remain invested in doing what is wrong. Failure is inherited like family property, while decay is dressed up as progress. Each government leaves its citizens nostalgic for the very failures they once condemned. We idolise the past, mourn the present, and dread the future. What confronts us is not just a leadership crisis but a structural, cultural, and philosophical collapse.

Nigeria’s decline is no secret. It is etched in global rankings. In the 2024 UN Human Development Index, Nigeria sits at 161st of 193 countries, behind Ghana, Kenya, and even war-torn Syria. Poverty grips over 133 million people in a country blessed with oil and fertile land. The World Bank estimates youth unemployment at 33 percent, a ticking time bomb in a nation where 70 percent of the population is under 30.

Corruption remains the national operating system. Transparency International’s 2024 index ranks Nigeria 145th of 180 countries. Infrastructure is crumbling, and basic services, power, clean water, healthcare, have become luxuries. Instead of uniting citizens, the state institutionalises division by classifying them as ‘indigenes’ and ‘settlers’. Identity, not merit, determines access.

Governance at every level reflects disorientation. We build institutions without blueprints, spend without investment, and generate outputs without meaningful outcomes. Elections change faces but rarely systems. Without a revolution in thinking, victories at the ballot will only recycle dysfunction in new costumes.

Politics is not foreign to culture; it is culture made visible. In Nigeria, governance reflects the culture of short-term survival, not long-term planning. From elites who loot budgets to ordinary citizens who sell votes, complicity is widespread. The obsession with public office as the only route to success chokes innovation in business, arts, and science. Activism too often mistakes noise for impact, while social media becomes a substitute for strategy.

Yet the dysfunction is not total. There are flickers of progress: Edo’s digital education reforms, Lagos’ improvements in tax collection, and Enugu’s expansion of health insurance. These show that change is possible when leadership aligns with vision. But such examples remain exceptions rather than norms.

At 65, Nigeria can no longer afford cosmetic reforms. The rebirth must be intentional, designed around systems that reward excellence, build trust, and channel human potential into collective progress. reformEconomic productivity: Oil dependency has trapped Nigeria in volatility. Investment must shift to manufacturing, digital innovation, and agriculture value chains to absorb its restless youth.

Decentralization: A country of 200 million cannot be micromanaged from Abuja. True federalism, where states control resources and citizens hold governors accountable, is a more pragmatic route than endless centralisation.

Citizen responsibility: Leaders emerge from the culture that produces them. Nigerians must refuse to sell votes, glorify stolen wealth, or excuse mediocrity. Change cannot be outsourced solely to the political class.

Rebuilding Nigeria requires more than policy; it requires trust. Today, citizens pay bribes for birth certificates, healthcare, passports, and jobs. Governance treats Nigerians as obstacles to be managed, not citizens to be served. But governance rooted in care is not sentimentality; it is strategy. A government that guarantees education, health, and housing earns legitimacy.

Public servants trained in empathy as much as administration can restore dignity in everyday encounters.

Trust cannot be manufactured by propaganda. Nigerians are exhausted by slogans. What they demand is meaning, not marketing; results, not rhetoric. Leadership must be judged by integrity and delivery, not by propaganda machinery or personality cults.

Nigeria at 65 is not a failed state, but a fighting one. The problems are real, but so is the potential for rebirth. The same nation that exports talent across the globe can channel that brilliance inward. But this will not happen by accident. It must be demanded, designed, and delivered.

South Korea, also 65 years past its Korean War devastation, is now a global economic power. Rwanda, despite its dark history, has rebuilt its institutions with discipline and vision. Nigeria has no excuse. Age must come with wisdom, not perpetual folly.

If independence anniversaries mean anything, Nigeria’s 65th should not be a ritual of empty speeches but a moment of reckoning. It must call leaders and citizens alike to rebuild a nation that reflects the greatness of its people. The choice is stark: remain trapped in dysfunction or design a future worthy of the name ‘giant of Africa’.

At 65, Nigeria is too old to be this broken.

Worrisome loans and high cost of debt servicing in Nigeria

It is worrisome that President Tinubu is taking more loans despite the fact that Nigeria is having problems with the increasingly high cost of debt servicing. Debt servicing is taking more than 27 percent of Nigeria’s 2025 budget. Nigeria’s debt is about $100 billion, with $45.9 billion in external debt and $51.2 billion in domestic debt.

The budget for debt servicing is more than the budget of education, health and defence put together in the 2025 budget. President Tinubu is paying more attention to obtaining more loans and less attention to the economic consequences of the high cost of debt servicing in Nigeria.

Since assuming office in May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has presided over what is becoming one of Nigeria’s most aggressive borrowing campaigns in recent history. In just two years, Nigeria has secured $29.2 billion in loans, a massive financial commitment that will shape the nation’s economic trajectory for decades. While many Nigerians seem focused on day-to-day survival, the mounting debt quietly grows in the background, accruing interest and setting the stage for future repayment by citizens, including those yet unborn. Tinubu’s $29.2 Billion Debt Train: Who’s Driving, and Who’s Paying?

Nigeria’s increasing loans and high cost of debt-servicing obligations pose a significant risk to the country’s economic stability and development. Public debt has surged rapidly in favour of unproductive rather than productive capital projects. This cycle has been exacerbated by the devaluation of the naira and persistent fiscal deficits. As of the first quarter of 2025, Nigeria’s public debt stood at ?149.39 trillion, a sharp increase from ?121.7 trillion in the same period of 2024. The Debt Management Office (DMO) reported that domestic debt comprised ?78.76 trillion (52.7%) of this total, while external debt was ?70.63 trillion (47.3%). This places the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio at 52 percent, a level that exceeds the legal threshold of 40 percent. According to a forecast by BudgIT, total public debt could reach ?187.79 trillion by the end of 2025.

Nigeria’s debt service to revenue ratio (DS/RR) has been a significant concern, but recent reform efforts have shown improvement, though it remains high by international standards. President Tinubu stated in November 2024 that the ratio dropped to 65 percent from about 97 percent when he took office in May 2023, though the AfDB reported it rose to 77.5 percent in 2024. The World Bank recommends a ratio not exceeding 22.5 percent, highlighting Nigeria’s challenges in managing its debt service obligations relative to its revenue. World Bank benchmark: The World Bank suggests a ratio below 22.5 percent as a sustainable level. Nigeria’s debt servicing ratio reached critical levels, sometimes exceeding 97 percent (meaning nearly all revenue went to debt servicing).

Presidential claims (Nov 2024):

President Tinubu reported a significant reduction to 65 percent in late 2024, from approximately 97 percent when his administration began.

AfDB Findings (July 2025):

A recent report indicates the ratio increased to 77.5 percent in 2024. Impact of reforms:

The government’s removal of fuel subsidies and unification of the exchange rate have helped increase revenue, but the gains have not yet matched the scale of spending needs.

Nigeria’s 2025 national budget includes a significant allocation for debt servicing, with figures ranging from ?13 trillion to ?16.3 trillion, representing a substantial increase from previous years. This allocation, which some reports state is 25 percent of the budget, has raised concerns among economic analysts due to its large size relative to other sectors and potential impact on the nation’s debt-to-GDP ratio. While the government is exploring ways to reduce its debt burden and improve revenue, challenges remain in achieving macroeconomic stability and fiscal sustainability.

Proposed Budget Size: Reports vary, but the budget is around ?55 trillion.

Debt Servicing Allocation: Ranging from ?13 trillion to ?16.3 trillion, depending on the report and specific framework used.

Budget Deficit: The proposed budget includes a deficit of approximately ?13.39 trillion.

One of the promises made by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on assumption of office was that his administration would cut down on the over-reliance on borrowing for public expenditure. In fact, Tinubu said he was going to curtail the government’s borrowing so as to reduce the debt service burden on the country. Besides, Tinubu told Nigerians that his ‘fuel subsidy is gone’ pronouncement on May 29 would lead to significant savings and resource reallocation for the country. ‘We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, healthcare and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions,’ he had said.

But many Nigerians were taken aback when the president sought the approval of the National Assembly for his government to access fresh external loans of $7.8 billion and pound 100 million as contained in the 2022-2024 borrowing plan of the federal government, despite having full knowledge of the country’s debt challenge.

Nigeria’s debt is worrisome because the public debt stock reached 149.39 trillion naira (approximately US$97 billion) by Q1 2025, a significant increase from the previous year. This brought the debt-to-GDP ratio to 52 percent, exceeding the 40 percent legal limit and raising concerns about the country’s fiscal sustainability and its ability to service its debt. Experts and lawmakers are alarmed by the rapid debt growth and the low returns on borrowed funds, which may require urgent parliamentary attention, transparent practices, and fiscal reforms to avoid potential economic catastrophe.

Cutting Asia’s reliance on dollars

The US dollar remains the world’s leading reserve currency, but recent developments — particularly President Donald Trump’s unilateral economic diplomacy, including weaponisation of the dollar — have fuelled doubts about whether it will maintain that status. While some of America’s geopolitical rivals may hope to displace the dollar, the real challenge facing Asian economies is to manage the vulnerabilities created by their heavy dependence on it.

To be sure, no other currency currently rivals the dollar’s credibility and global reach. While geopolitical tensions and the risk of sanctions have fuelled diversification efforts, the greenback’s international dominance is unlikely to diminish in the near term.

That is not necessarily good news for Asean+3 countries, because their longstanding reliance on the dollar makes them acutely exposed to US monetary-policy shifts and global financial shocks. Asian policymakers must therefore focus on bolstering financial resilience through deeper regional cooperation — not necessarily a euro-style monetary union, but rather pragmatic measures aimed at reducing risks and enhancing strategic autonomy.

For decades, the dollar has underpinned Asia’s trade and financial flows, reflecting both supply-chain linkages and the greenback’s status as a safe haven. In South Korea and Thailand, for example, more than 70% of trade with China and Asean countries is invoiced in dollars. For emerging economies in particular, dollar assets offer unmatched liquidity and reliability, even as they create structural vulnerabilities.

Those vulnerabilities, though, can be severe. US monetary tightening often triggers capital outflows and sharp currency depreciation, leaving borrowers who earn in local currencies and borrow in dollars with higher debt burdens.

This currency mismatch was at the core of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, which devastated economies throughout the region, necessitating intervention by the International Monetary Fund.

Asean+3 policymakers today remain keenly aware that Federal Reserve rate hikes could once again destabilise their economies. To mitigate such risks, many countries in the region have amassed large foreign-exchange reserves — mostly in US Treasuries — as a form of self-insurance. These strategic stockpiles reflect both the painful lessons of past crises and the lingering “IMF stigma” that discourages reliance on external bailouts.

The idea of an Asian common currency, which briefly gained traction after the 1997 crisis, has since faded, as the continent’s diverse political systems, economies, and cultures make such an undertaking unfeasible. Instead, attention has shifted to more pragmatic, incremental initiatives.

For starters, advances in digital technology are enabling faster, cheaper cross-border settlements, driving demand for regional payment systems. Asean countries are currently piloting QR-code-based cross-border payment systems, while several central banks in East Asia are exploring distributed ledger platforms for multi-currency transactions.

But these efforts should not remain fragmented pilots. Asean+3 economies must work together to scale up and integrate payment systems, thereby reducing transaction costs and exchange-rate risks in intra-regional trade and tourism.

Another challenge is to reinforce regional financial safety nets. With a lending capacity of US$240 billion (7.8 trillion baht), the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation provides liquidity to Asean+3 economies facing balance-of-payments crises.

Building on the work of the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), member economies hope to strengthen the CMIM by introducing a Rapid Financing Facility and are considering paid-in capital contributions. Such reforms would make the CMIM more flexible and credible, enabling it to respond more effectively to sudden dollar-related shocks.

Strengthening resilience through regional financial cooperation offers Asian economies a far better path than direct confrontation with the dollar.

To guard against dollar-related shocks, they must build on existing Asean+3 initiatives in three core policy areas.

First, expanding local-currency settlement in trade and investment, especially through bilateral and regional currency swap arrangements, could help reduce vulnerabilities.

Such frameworks — already operational between countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand — have proven effective in lowering transaction costs and mitigating risks.

Second, policymakers should advance the internationalisation of Asian currencies. Wider use of the yen, renminbi, and others in cross-border trade and finance could help reduce currency mismatches, even if none is positioned to replace the dollar globally.

The third priority is to standardise financial platforms and promote interoperability across payment and settlement systems.

AMRO has highlighted the importance of digital financial infrastructure, including fast payment networks, which could complement regional initiatives like Project mBridge and Project Guardian.

Standardisation and interoperability will be key to scaling these systems beyond the pilot stage.

Again, this is not to suggest that Asean+3 should follow in the European Union’s footsteps and adopt a single currency.

But by elevating major Asian currencies, harmonising digital payment systems, and maintaining robust regional financial safety nets, governments can build a more resilient monetary ecosystem.

These measures would complement the dollar rather than replace it, safeguarding Asia’s growth and stability amid deepening global uncertainty. ©2025 Project Syndicate

Lower prices helping to revive sagging condo sentiment

New condo launches priced below market averages are attracting buyers despite a sluggish economy, a contracting residential sector and weakened purchasing power, according to SET-listed developer Supalai.

Tritecha Tangmatitham, managing director of Supalai, said the condo market rebounded to about 90% of normal levels from July to August, after slowing in the first half due to weak sentiment in the first quarter and the impact of the March 28 earthquake in the second quarter.

“Sentiment slowed again this month, but conditions are still better than in the second quarter,” he said. “A few new projects avoided weak sales, recording strong take-up as their prices were set below market averages. Price performance is significant.”

Late last month, the company launched Supalai Elite Sukhumvit 39, a 192-unit project on Sukhumvit Soi 39 with unit sizes starting at 56.5 square metres, priced from 6.3 million baht or 120,000 baht per sq m on average.

The project sold out on its launch day — the only new condo in Greater Bangkok to achieve that feat this year — as its prices were set below the market average of more than 150,000 baht per sq m and it offered unit sizes rarely available in the surrounding area, said Mr Tritecha.

“Condo buyers now seek affordable units that allow them to secure mortgages with confidence, while investment buyers are returning if yields are attractive,” he said.

Over the past two years, buyers preferred developers to include everything in the units, pushing up prices so they could secure a mortgage covering all costs at once, said Mr Tritecha.

That trend has changed, as many buyers opt to strip out extras, even solar rooftops on low-rise houses that could reduce electricity bills, seeking to keep unit prices lower and facilitate mortgage approval.

The ability to price new condos below market averages stemmed from securing land at favourable costs, as competition for plots eased significantly during the economic slowdown the past 1-2 years, he said.

“This change allowed us to launch projects at more affordable levels,” said Mr Tritecha. “Land prices today are more than 10% lower than two years ago. Many plots were secured at pre-negotiated prices, while some were acquired at the seller’s original purchase cost from a decade ago.”

Competition for condo development land was minimal due to weak market sentiment, challenges in securing corporate loans, and difficulties in issuing new debentures, even as this year recorded the largest number of plots offered by property developers, he said.

Supalai set a 2025 land investment budget of 8 billion baht and has already spent half. The company’s average cost of funds was 2.63% as of the end of June 2025, said Mr Tritecha.

“Strong financial capacity allows us to acquire land at favourable deals with no rival bids, as well as negotiate better terms with contractors as construction activity has been reduced the past 1-2 years,” he said.

The presales performance of all developers, including Supalai, is expected to fall short of targets set earlier this year as the market has been sluggish for several months due to the earthquake and the US tariff hike, said Mr Tritecha.

The company is maintaining its presales target of 32 billion baht for 2025, despite recording only 11.9 billion in the first half.

Dip in truck and motorcycle sales, farm income in August

Sales of trucks and motorcycles, as well as farmers’ incomes nationwide, continued to contract in August due to the economic slowdown, according to the Fiscal Policy Office’s (FPO) regional economic report.

Pornchai Thiraveja, director-general of the FPO, said new truck registrations declined across all regions, with those in the central region falling by 70.8% year-on-year, the South by 30.3%, the Northeast by 49.9%, the North by 57.7%, the East by 31.2%, the West by 55.4% and Bangkok and surrounding areas by 50.7%.

New motorcycle registrations also decreased in every region during August, with those in the central region dropping by 9.2%, the South by 14.1%, the Northeast by 15.5%, the North by 22.1%, the East by 3.1%, the West by 4.4% and Bangkok and surrounding areas by 9.7%.

Farmers’ incomes fell across all regions, with those in the central region declining by 16.2%, the South by 5.9%, the Northeast by 11.4%, the North by 26.8%, the East by 10%, the West by 9.6% and Bangkok and surrounding areas by 21.5%.

The FPO also conducted the Regional Economic Sentiment Index (RSI) for September, reflecting regional economic prospects over the next six months.

These prospects are still expected to expand, particularly in the eastern and southern regions, driven by improvements in the agricultural and industrial sectors.

However, issues such as volatile weather conditions, global economic and trade fluctuations as well as progress on stimulus measures require monitoring, noted the office.

All regional RSIs tallied higher than 50%, with the eastern region the highest at 75.4%, while Bangkok and surrounding areas were the lowest at 57.4%.

The eastern region’s future index reflects confidence in continued economic expansion, particularly in the services and investment sectors, as the high season for tourism brings festivals in many areas, said Mr Pornchai.

Measures to promote tourism and investment to develop tourist attractions and infrastructure from both the public and private sectors should also support the sector, he said.

Further stimulus measures and government policies to promote high-technology industries are anticipated, which should support the recovery of domestic demand and investment. As a result, the future economic sentiment index for the Eastern Economic Corridor rose to 79.9.

Meanwhile, the southern region’s RSI tallied 71.0, driven mainly by confidence in the services and investment sectors as the high season for tourism approaches.

TAT launches campaign to boost provincial culinary tourism

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched the “Local Taste Local Thai” campaign, using authentic local food as a magnet to inspire a journey of genuine Thai experiences until Nov 15.

Held under the concept of “Grand Moment, Moment Of Giving”, the campaign is designed to create memorable moments for high-quality travellers and the expat community, support local communities and preserve traditional culinary heritage.

It is woven around four distinct travel lifestyles — Eco and Adventure, Wellness, Foodie and Sporty. These themes are linked to local dishes from four pilot provinces — Uthai Thani, Phuket, Trang and Songkhla.

The campaign aims to inspire travellers to explore lesser-known routes and to savour local food along the way, enriching their journey with a creative and unique touch.

To join the campaign, participants can purchase a 50% discount e-coupon via Line official account: @localtastethai. Each person can purchase up to 10 coupons per day. A special buy 10, get 1 free promotion is also available.

They can use the coupons to receive discounts on food and services at 63 participating restaurants, communities and activities across all five regions of Thailand, from now until Nov 15.

Every expense will be converted into points in the Taste Pass system and top spenders will receive special rewards from Bangkok Airways.

Get ready for the ultimate Korean-themed pet variety show

‘Annyeong: Pet Adventure In Korea” is the concept for the 15th “SmartHeart Presents Thailand International Pet Variety Exhibition”, which kicks off on Oct 9 and runs daily from 10am to 8pm until Oct 12, at Impact Exhibition Hall 7-8, Muang Thong Thani.

A retro Korean atmosphere will be recreated for this year’s edition, inviting pet lovers and their furry friends to enjoy, take chic photos and shop for products and services. This is another chance to witness more than 20,000 pets of various kinds at many zones inspired by famous Korean landmarks and packed with fun activities.

The “Cat Zone: The Land Of Korean Kitties” will see pedigree and adorable domestic cats on the stage before international judges to vie for cash prizes during “CFA Cat Competition 2025 By SCFC” on Oct 11 and 12. Also running on both days will be the “Bright-Eyed Beauty Cats” contest.

Also prepare to enjoy the world’s first ARBA standard rabbit competition at the “Rabbit Zone: The Cute Rodent Realm”, which will bring over 10 rare rabbit breeds. Also presented will be a mouse race, a hamster contest, an up-close experience with giant bush babies and a debut showcase of Thailand’s only Continental Giant and German Lop blue rabbits.

On display at the “Exotic Zone: Wonders Of Unusual Pets” will be rarely-seen creatures including meerkats, ferrets, sugar gliders, iguanas, ball pythons, horned frogs, eagles, Sulcata giant tortoises, macaws, giant bush babies, rare palm civets, ring-tailed lemurs, prairie dogs, skunk gangs, as well as lizards of various species from around the world.

The “Pet Playground Zone: Friends Show Their Skills” will be full of exciting challenges including grooming contests for cats and dogs, a wall-climbing dog challenge, the 38th “Thailand Pitbull Weight Pulling Championship”, the “UDC The Star” contest. Also, enjoy fun Korean-themed games such as “Do You Remember Me? Appa or Omma?”, “Mama’s Award: Saranghae”, “Come Here Baby: Monitor Lizard Racing” and treat-licking games for cats and dogs.

A number of Korean-themed workshops will also be arranged for pet owners to create a lucky charm, a key chain, a pet leash and other keepsakes, while the “Korea-Pet Street Market” will feature over 250 booths, offering Korean-style pet fashion, healthy pet food and snack, toys and the latest technology innovations. Special promotions will be presented and free pet health check-ups from top veterinary clinics will be available.

Another highlight is a series of business seminars by the Thai Pet Products Industry Association and the Thailand Exotic Pet Keepers Association, on Oct 9 from 12.30pm to 5.30pm. There is no admission fee but seats are limited.

Entry fee is 20 baht, with part of the proceeds going towards the 1 Baht For Hungry Dogs project.

EVs, data centres seen driving cable growth

The electrical wire and cable industry is expected to have bright prospects this year, driven by the growth of electric vehicle (EV) and data centre businesses, says the Trade Association of Thai Cable Manufacturers (ATCM).

More EV sales and investment in data centres in many countries, including Thailand, as part of a transition to clean energy will lift demand for electrical wire and cables used in EV assembly and data centre development, said Pongsapak Nakornsri, president of ATCM.

Data centres are becoming more important as the network of computers provides computational and storage infrastructure for data and the artificial intelligence technology used by businesses, he said.

Many operators of data centres also demand clean energy to run their facilities, which require a huge amount of electricity.

New clean energy projects, including solar and wind farms and hydropower plants, require electrical cables, said Mr Pongsapak, also chief commercial officer of Bangkok Cable Co, a local electrical wire and cable manufacturer.

The clean energy sector is expected to grow by 6% a year globally, he said, citing an estimate from market research agencies.

According to ATCM, the value of the global electrical wire and cable industry is expected to reach US$230 billion this year and increase to $300 billion by 2030.

The growth of the electrical wire and cable sector in Southeast Asia is expected to outperform the global market thanks to high economic growth in countries such as Vietnam.

In Thailand, applications for investment promotion incentives in the first half of 2025 increased by 139% year-on-year to a record 1.06 trillion baht, led by investment in the digital sector, according to the Board of Investment.

The data centre segment attracted a combined investment value of 521 billion baht from 28 projects, as foreign and local tech companies continued to address the soaring demand for cloud services from hyperscalers, which refers to global cloud service companies.

The government continues to promote the EV industry, aiming to make Thailand a regional hub of EV production.

Under its “30@30” policy, Thailand expects EVs to represent at least 30% of total auto production by 2030, comprising 725,000 zero-emission cars, 675,000 electric motorcycles and 34,000 electric buses and trucks.

However, political uncertainties may cause a delay in new investment projects, which will eventually affect the electrical wire and cable industry, said Mr Pongsapak.