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Thai Beverage (ThaiBev), the Singapore-listed food and beverage company, plans to invest around 9 billion baht in fiscal 2026.

ThaiBev’s 2026 fiscal year runs from Oct 1, 2025 to Sept 30, 2026.

A total of 4 billion baht is for its non-alcoholic beverage business, 2 billion for its spirits business, 2 billion for its beer business, and 1 billion for its food business.

Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, group chief executive, said the global and regional economies are experiencing slower growth and trade policy uncertainty.

Changes in US policy have created a negative impact on trade in Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia, he said.

Regarding politics, Mr Thapana said the Thai government’s growing stability is lifting confidence, driven by its economic team.

“There are positive signs from October as the new government emphasises improving the economy,” he said.

Despite the uncertain trade outlook, there is a clearer direction in multilateral trade negotiations, said Mr Thapana.

The company is continuing to strengthen its business foundations and implement its “Passion 2030” roadmap that comprises two strategic pillars: “Reach Competitively” and “Digital for Growth”.

The first pillar focuses on ensuring complete product delivery coverage across all channels, with seamless integration, high service quality, and cost competitiveness.

The second segment involves leveraging digital technology to enhance its growth potential by improving efficiency, effectiveness and insights, while increasing connectivity with its consumers and business partners to ensure responsiveness to their evolving needs.

Sopon Racharaksa, executive vice-president and chief of the spirits product group, said the company encountered headwinds from challenges in the business environment at home and abroad.

The company plans to allocate 2 billion baht for its spirits product group, with 1 billion in reserve for international investments, such as expanding production capacity in New Zealand and increasing warehouse capacity in the UK.

For the beer business, the company plans to invest 2 billion baht in fiscal 2026, most of which will be allocated to a new plant in Cambodia, said Michael Chye Hin Fah, chief of the beer product group.

Located in Kandal province, roughly 50 kilometres from Phnom Penh, the new plant has a production capacity of 50 million litres per year in the first phase.

The plant is under construction and is expected to open in the next few months, according to ThaiBev.

Kosit Suksingha, president and group chief operating officer for Thailand, said the company is set to invest 4 billion baht in the non-alcoholic beverage segment.

The majority of the budget will be allocated to its projects abroad, he said, including a dairy cattle farm and a dairy production facility in Malaysia, as well as a non-alcoholic beverage production site in Cambodia.

Mr Kosit said the project in Malaysia aligns with the company’s strategy to tap into the growing halal market, while the facility in Cambodia will enable the company to produce and distribute products more effectively.

Some 700-800 million baht of investment in Thailand will be directed towards upgrading existing production lines and reforming its beverage packaging, he said.

Non-alcoholic sales are projected to grow by double digits this year, said Mr Kosit. This segment contributes 5% of the company’s total sales.

Paisarn Aowsathaporn, first vice-president and chief of food business for Thailand, said the company plans to invest 1 billion baht in the food business in 2026.

The investment is focused on roughly 45 additional KFC outlets. ThaiBev also wants to refresh its Oishi Buffet and Oishi Ramen restaurants, following this year’s rebranding of Shabushi, aimed to attract both Gen Z and Gen X consumers, he said.

The company is promoting the restaurants under Food of Asia, its food business subsidiary, at One Bangkok to serve employees in the buildings, which is expected to tally 10,000 by the end of this year.

ThaiBev also launched the Sook Delivery application to provide vertical delivery options for office building residents.

Mr Paisarn said he expects the food business to grow by 9% per year from 2026-2030.

Chinese sci-fi author Chen Qiufan will join Bangkok Climate Action Week today.

The event, titled “In Search Of Hope-Full Futures”, is set to take place at SEA Junction, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, from 2pm-6pm today. Supported by the London Climate Action Week, Bangkok Climate Action Week today is a collaboration between the city and civil society, which has organised over 232 activities across the capital.

Chen Qiufan (aka Stanley Chan) is a fiction writer, screenwriter and columnist who has published work through various outlets such as Science Fiction World, Esquire, Chutzpah! and ZUI Found. His short stories include The Fish Of Lijiang, The Year Of The Rat and The Flower Of Shazui, all of which are available in Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction In Translation, a collection of 13 shorties edited and translated by Ken Liu. In their new book AI 2041: Ten Visions For Our Future (2021), Chen and Kai-Fu Lee predict how artificial intelligence will change the world within two decades.

Chen has won several literary accolades, including Taiwan’s Dragon Fantasy Award and China’s Galaxy and Nebula Awards. In English, he has been featured in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Interzone and The Magazine Of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Liu Cixin, China’s most acclaimed science fiction author, praised his debut novel, The Waste Tide (2013) as “the pinnacle of near-future SF writing”.

Chen and other speakers will join a two-part programme to envision alternative futures of Asia amid the techno-apocalyptic climate crisis. A panel, titled “Fiction, Imagination and Climate Agency”, will explore the potential of speculative storytelling in creating new perspectives. Meanwhile, a game-based workshop titled “Climate Dreams and Dynamic Disruptions” will delve into alternative scenarios for Asia’s islands and oceans.

Rabbit Life Insurance, a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings, is targeting 2.6 billion baht in premiums this year amid robust demand for whole life, health and annuity insurance products.

Total premiums surged by 22% year-on-year to 1.92 billion baht in the first eight months of 2025, supported across agency, broker and online channels, said managing director Korn Chinsawananon.

First-year premiums tallied 1.5 billion baht, up 21%, while profits totalled 356 million baht, reflecting the strong product portfolio and financial stability, as evidenced by a capital adequacy ratio of 213%, he said.

Whole life insurance was the top-selling category this year, with sales surging tenfold to 495 million baht, reflecting rising consumer interest in long-term life planning and sustainable family security.

Health insurance also skyrocketed, increasing by 144% to 26.4 million baht, led by the popular Health Smile plan, which offers flexible coverage that can be combined with existing welfare benefits to maximise value.

Annuity insurance, designed to support retirement planning amid Thailand’s ageing society, grew 115% to 60.2 million baht, as such products are gaining strong traction among customers seeking financial stability in their later years.

Mr Korn said the company aims to finish 2025 with total premiums exceeding 2.6 billion baht, driven by tax-saving insurance products and an omni-channel approach.

For 2026, he said Rabbit Life plans to leverage data-driven insurance strategies to offer more personalised, flexible solutions that meet the needs of all life stages. The company has set a target of 3 billion baht in premiums, a 15% increase from 2025, while continuing to strengthen its network of quality agents.

By combining product innovation, multi-channel distribution, and data-driven insights, Rabbit Life remains focused on building long-term relationships with its customers, delivering solutions for every life stage, and establishing itself as a modern, competitive life insurance provider prepared for sustainable growth, said Mr Korn.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) wants the new tourism and sports minister to increase funding for marketing, incentives and chartered flights so that Thailand can compete with neighbouring countries and attract at least 35.5 million foreign tourists.

Atta president Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn said that even though the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) subsidies for chartered flights and incentive groups are expected to draw 300,000 foreign visitors this year, the effort is insufficient to stimulate the tourism industry.

He said the association plans to ask Tourism and Sports Minister Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn to allocate a greater budget to double these numbers, as Deputy Prime Minister Thamanat Prompow recently announced a goal of attracting 2 million Chinese tourists in the last four months of this year.

Mr Thanapol said Atta would also highlight critical issues such as tourists’ safety concerns and the lack of new manmade destinations and convenient facilities.

Atta also intends to encourage top-rank officials to attend roadshows or marketing trips overseas to promote Thailand and restore tour agents’ confidence.

The association held the Atta Travel Art Mice and Leisure 2025 event in Bangkok on Monday, joined by more than 670 buyers and sellers from across Thailand.

Atta expects more than 2,000 business matchings, generating roughly 500 million baht in transactions.

Tassanapong Phettrakul, assistant manager of Alcazar Cabaret Show Pattaya, said it would like to increase opportunities from Indian and domestic tourists, now that Pattaya is experiencing a decline in the Chinese and South Korean markets, which were typically the city’s top arrivals.

He said Alcazar Pattaya gained only 1,000 daily visitors on average, a decline from 1,800 in normal times.

He said he hopes the new government will improve Thailand’s tourism image and showcase unique products to visitors.

Surasak Tharapatn, group general manager of Panviman Group of Resorts, said the first priority for the government was to tackle the strong baht which pushes foreign tourists to other destinations, as the prices for similar hotels in Vietnam is now 20-30% cheaper than Thailand.

INDIAN OPPORTUNITY

In collaboration with the TAT, Atta also held a roadshow in the third quarter of this year, visiting Kochi and Ahmedabad in India.

Vathanachai Chatrirath, vice-president of Atta, said Indian tourists could be a potential market for Thailand due to its large population and growing middle class.

Indians’ average length of stay is seven days, with daily expenditure of 4,000-5,000 baht.

He said Indian arrivals could reach 3 million in 2026, rising from 2.2 million this year, as many airlines are planning to increase capacity.

Mr Vathanachai said some Thai carriers have switched their fleets from flying Chinese routes to India instead.

He said that the TAT holding a Diwali celebration in Thailand may not be the right tactic to lure Indian tourists since they typically preferred to stay with their families at home during the festival.

The authority should hire Bollywood stars or top-tier Indian singers to perform in Thailand, following the lead of Malaysia and Singapore, said Mr Vathanachai.

A section of Charoen Krung Road near the Electricity Authority in Bangkok suddenly subsided on Wednesday morning and the road has been partially closed to traffic.

The road surface collapsed around 10am on Wednesday.

A video posted by the Ruamkatanyu Foundation’s Bang Phongphang unit shows a significant depression in the road surface, raising concerns about safety and disruption of traffic flow in the busy area. The collapsed section is several metres long.

Rescue teams from the Charoen Krung emergency centre and other agencies were rushed to the scene to evaluate the damage, implement traffic control measures and prevent further accidents.

The cause of the collapse was still being investigated.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible and use alternative routes until repairs are completed and the road fully reopened.

The incident follows the recent major subsidence on Samsen Road outside Vajira Hospital.

A man was electrocuted and engulfed in flames before being swept away by strong currents in the Nan River after coming into contact with a high-voltage power line hanging from a bridge in Pichai district of Utttaradit province on Wednesday morning.

The man was attempting to secure a drifting fish raft to the bridge when the tragic incident happened in Ban Dong village Moo 3 in tambon Phaya Man of Phichai district in the northern province.

The fish raft, believed to have broken loose in tambon Tha Mafueang, was seen floating rapidly downstream due to strong currents.

Video captured the moment the raft passed under the bridge, showing a man aboard attempting to tie a rope to the structure. As the raft drifted past, the man came into contact with a hanging high-voltage cable, resulting in a powerful electric shock that engulfed his body in sparks.

He then fell into the river and disappeared beneath the fast-moving water, leaving onlookers in shock.

Jakapan Chanthrathippayarak, who chairs the Taluk Krathiam tambon administration in Phrom Phiram district of Phitsanulok province, told reporters that he had been alerted by officials in tambon Phichai earlier that a raft was drifting downstream towards his community.

A rescue volunteer and owner of the JT Motor Sound Audio business, Mr Jakapan said he drove to the bridge to assist. When the raft arrived, he recorded the video of the incident.

‘The raft was moving very fast. As soon as it passed under the bridge, the man tried to tie it but was suddenly electrocuted. His body fell into the river and disappeared,’ he said.

Rescuers later managed to retrieve the raft along the Nan River bank, but the man’s body has not yet been found.

Energy conglomerate Banpu Plc has acquired Bedrock Production Llc, which owns upstream and midstream assets in the Barnett Shale in Texas, in the US. The transaction is valued at US$370 million or roughly 12 billion baht.

The company said the budget for the acquisition comes from the issuance of senior notes totalling $260 million and the issuance of new BKV shares to Bedrock Energy Partners Llc amounting to 5.2 million shares, with a total value of $110 million, said Sinon Vongkusolkit, chief executive of Banpu.

“The gas business in the US serves as one of the key pillars for achieving an energy balance, while generating strong cash flow under our energy symphonics strategy,” he said.

The company has focused on other key gas production facilities, power trade and carbon capture technology, which are expected to increase its revenue in the future.

However, the divestments will enable Banpu to scale up the operations of its core operated high-return assets.

This BKV acquisition reflects the company’s continued growth, leveraging the synergy between its strong expertise in high-quality natural gas resources and existing midstream pipeline infrastructure.

This shared infrastructure reduces operating costs, maximises operational efficiency, optimises capital efficiency, enhances competitiveness and significantly increases natural gas reserves.

Banpu said the acquisition further strengthens BKV’s Barnett Shale portfolio with 97,000 acres along with critical midstream infrastructure and an additional 108 million cubic feet equivalent of natural gas of production in the second quarter, comprising 63% natural gas and 37% natural gas liquids.

The assets include 1,121 producing wells and an additional 0.8 trillion of cubic feet of natural gas equivalent of proven reserves. The acquisition adds 50 new drill locations with equivalent 10,000-foot and 80 low-cost refrac locations.

As a result of this acquisition, BKV has recognised the revenue from the operation of this asset from Sept 29, 2025.

The divestments follow Banpu’s announcement in 2023 that it would create continuous growth in the energy business value chain in the US, as well as accelerate its transition towards greener energy.

Banpu sees a positive trend in the US energy industry, enabling the firm to expand its business.

The firm anticipates generating long-term additional revenue from its carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration technology installed at its Barnett shale field.

The Bank of Thailand (BoT) reported on Wednesday there had been no unusual movements in the country’s financial markets following the US government shutdown, and it was monitoring the situation.

In a statement, the BoT said businesses should manage their risks from market volatility.

Dollar eases to week low

The US dollar sank to a one-week low against major currencies on Wednesday as the US government shutdown unsettled markets and threatened to delay key jobs data, seen as crucial for Federal Reserve (Fed) policy decisions.

The shutdown commenced hours after the Senate rejected a short-term spending measure that would have kept government operations afloat through Nov 21. Senate Republican Leader John Thune said the chamber would vote again on the House-passed measure on Wednesday. The Senate is due to convene at 1400 GMT.

The dollar index, which tracks the US currency against six major peers, slipped 0.2%. The price action across the broader markets bore a few hallmarks of safe-haven buying, giving low-yielding currencies such as the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc a bid, while US Treasuries and gold held firm.

Safe haven or not?

Rabobank chief currency strategist Jane Foley said it was tricky discerning if yen strength was driven by safe-haven demand or speculation about the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raising rates.

“It’s a market that is not sure it’s supposed to be nervous. It’s not blindingly obvious that there is a very strong safe-haven bid. There are small pockets of evidence that there is.”

The dollar was down 0.5% against the yen, around its weakest in two weeks, while losing around 0.2% against the Swiss franc, another traditional safe haven.

US President Donald Trump warned congressional Democrats on Tuesday that letting the federal government shutdown would allow his administration to take “irreversible” actions including closing programmes important to them.

The US Labour and Commerce departments said their statistics agencies would halt data releases in the event of a partial shutdown. That includes Friday’s scheduled nonfarm payrolls release, considered key in determining whether a Fed rate cut is likely at the end of this month.

US jobs in focus

On Tuesday, a mixed reading for the Bureau of Labour Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, pressured the dollar. The report showed US job openings increased marginally in August while hiring declined, consistent with a softening labour market.

In the absence of official data, more emphasis will fall on private-sector economic indicators. The ADP employment report is due later on Wednesday.

The length of any shutdown may be key for markets, as the Fed’s next policy decision on October 29 remains weeks away. Traders currently see a quarter-point cut as a near certainty, with market-implied odds of around 95%, according to LSEG data.

In contrast, traders are placing a roughly 40% chance the BOJ will raise interest rates this month. The central bank’s quarterly “tankan” corporate sentiment survey on Wednesday showed confidence among big Japanese manufacturers improved for the second straight quarter and firms maintained their upbeat spending plans.

BOJ officials have tilted more hawkish in recent days, including formerly dovish board member Asahi Noguchi, who said on Monday that the need for policy tightening was increasing “more than ever.”

“The BOJ does not actually appear especially worried about how Trump tariffs might affect the Japanese economy,” said Yusuke Matsuo, senior markets economist at Mizuho Securities.

Sluggish Europe

The euro shrugged off a survey on Wednesday that showed euro zone manufacturing activity slipped back into contraction last month, with new orders falling at their fastest pace in six months.

The euro, which gained 0.2% in September and is up 13.5% this year, rose 0.25% to $1.1763, around one-week highs.

SET-listed contractor Stecon Group has diversified into property development, targeting an initial return of at least 15%, starting with a 14-billion-baht joint venture condo project with SET-listed residential developer Noble Development.

Pakpoom Srichamni, group chief executive and president of Stecon, said the move marked the company’s first venture into real estate development and its fourth investment this year.

“After nearly 50 years in construction, we recognised that relying solely on contracting constrained our growth potential,” he said. “To ensure sustainable expansion, we diversified into power, logistics, transport, startups, new technologies, and now property.”

By the fourth quarter, it plans to sign two joint-venture deals with foreign partners to develop data centres on two sites: its own plot on Bang Na-Trat Road at KM 4.5, and on an investor’s land plot in Chachoengsao’s Bang Pakong district.

Stecon, which posted 30.3 billion baht in revenue last year, almost entirely from construction, has earmarked 2-3 billion baht annually for non-construction investments, aiming for those businesses to generate profits on par with construction by 2030.

The firm notified the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Tuesday that its subsidiary, STECX Ventures Co, acquired a 50% stake in Vertical Rama 9 Alliance 1 Co, a Noble subsidiary developing the Nue Epic Asok-Rama 9 condo project, for 610 million baht.

The project, which recently began piling work, is located on a 15-rai plot on Rama IX Road. It comprises four high-rise buildings with a total of 3,116 units worth 14 billion baht.

Some 60% of the units valued at 8.3 billion baht have been sold. Stecon will handle construction under a 4.4-billion-baht contract, starting in January 2026 and scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.

“We aim for a minimum initial return of 15% from property investments,” said Ekachai Nitasanajarukul, chief strategy and new business officer at Stecon.

“There is no fixed formula for property investment decisions. It depends on the target customer group, price range, and market conditions. What matters most is having a clear marketing strategy,” he said.

Thongchai Busrapan, co-chief executive of Noble, said the sale of its stake in the project is part of an asset-light strategy, enabling the company to reinvest in new developments given the project’s significant value.

“This type of deal is not new. We previously sold a condo project that was still under construction with some units remaining for sale to another developer,” he said. “Sometimes divestment generates lower returns, but it avoids waiting four to five years for construction to be completed.”

The 610-million-baht proceeds from the recent sale of its stake will be booked in the third quarter of 2025 and are expected to help reduce Noble’s debt-to-equity ratio from 2.2 times at the end of the second quarter to below 2 times by year-end.

Noble plans to launch three new condo projects worth a combined 10 billion baht in 2026, with discussions ongoing with Stecon on potential joint-venture participation.

SINKHOLE REPAIR

Regarding the huge sinkhole on Samsen Road last Thursday, caused by construction of the MRT Purple Line (Tao Poon-Rat Burana extension), Stecon’s chief executive said the exact cause remained unclear.

“Preliminary assessment shows the impact is not severe as the damage occurred at the tunnel-to-station junction over a short distance. Our plan is to fill the area, remove the damaged section, and rebuild the affected tunnel,” said Mr Pakpoom.

He said the project has about 30 months remaining on the company’s contract, and Stecon estimates repairs will take less than a year, allowing the joint venture to complete the project on schedule, with repair costs expected to be covered by insurance.

The venture is 55% held by Ch. Karnchang Plc (CK) and 45% by Stecon, with tasks allocated according to expertise — CK handles tunnelling, while Stecon focuses on station construction and related building equipment.

“Under the joint venture, we share responsibility for all work, regardless of which partner leads a specific task,” said Mr Pakpoom.

Bangkok, for all its chaos and contrasts, remains a dynamic city in which to build and live life. This is why the Bangkok Post and BitesizeBKK, a young media brand focused on delivering crisp and digestible news on the most important trends and stories, are excited to collaborate on this new series. By fusing our perspectives, we will capture the way Bangkok eats, shops, works, and plays. Together, we’ll spotlight the trends and habits that shape the city’s identity, told with a contemporary pulse on what’s ahead.

Each week in Life, readers can expect a fresh feature that zooms in on how contemporary Bangkokians are living and designing our city, from the rise of new ‘it’ neighbourhoods to the spending patterns of a generation fluent in both local tradition and global taste. These are stories about how the city consumes and expresses itself – ones we’re excited to explore together.

Through our online channels, the collaboration opens the frame even wider, tracing cultural signals in real time. Whether we’re reporting on a two-month-in-advance dinner reservation or a new trend that suddenly feels unavoidable, these pieces act as dispatches from the ground: fast, sharp observations on what Bangkok is doing and why it matters.

This collaboration will present a fresh angle on the best of city life through new perspectives on how the movers and shakers of Bangkok are shaping the city. Together, the Bangkok Post x BitesizeBKK will help you discover the new trends that are helping drive the heartbeat of Asia’s most dynamic city.