The main factors affecting the business sector were higher energy costs and oil prices, at 79.2%, followed by rising transport and logistics costs, at 66.3%, and slowing domestic purchasing power, at 60.4%.
This reflected that businesses were facing pressure on costs and revenue at the same time.
In addition, 67.3% of operators expected the economy over the next three months to worsen, while 68.3% had low confidence in the Thai economy over the next six months.
This reflected private-sector concerns over the direction of the economy and underscored the need for the state to quickly implement economic recovery measures that are clear, concrete and able to restore confidence.
The private sector therefore proposed 10 urgent measures to revive the economy to the Anutin government, asking it to speed up action to pull the country’s economy out of a cycle in which economic growth is the lowest in the region, while also increasing the country’s competitiveness in the next stage.