Thailand faces a sharper power-cost risk as LNG prices threaten electricity tariffs

Thailand Business News - Sep 17, 2026

Thailand’s energy outlook is coming under renewed pressure as liquefied natural gas prices surge amid disruptions to Middle Eastern supply routes. PTTEP warned that every US$3 per million British thermal units increase in LNG prices could raise Thai electricity prices by about 5%, highlighting the country’s exposure to the global gas market. LNG currently supplies […]

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AI transforming, not cutting PH outsourcing jobs – study

Sep 17, 2026

AI transforming, not cutting PH outsourcing jobs – study

The artificial intelligence (AI) boom has not yet caused a decline in the Philippines’ service-export revenues or employment, ING Bank N.V. said, arguing that AI is so far changing what gets outsourced rather than reducing demand for outsourced work. In a report, Deepali Bhargava, head of Asia-Pacific research at ING, said there was evidence that

Gov’t spending yet to pick up pace

Sep 17, 2026

Gov’t spending yet to pick up pace

MANILA, Philippines — Government budget releases remained slightly behind last year’s pace by end-August, putting greater pressure on agencies to accelerate spending in the remaining months of 2026. Latest data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed that allotment releases had reached 94.1 percent, or P6.391 trillion of the P6.793-trillion budget in the

DBS bets on strong PH growth rebound but flags energy risk

Sep 17, 2026

DBS bets on strong PH growth rebound but flags energy risk

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has the potential to grow by an average of 5.8 percent a year from 2026 through 2035, according to DBS Bank Ltd., though it warned that the country’s heavy reliance on imported energy could weigh on that expansion. In a report copublished with Bain & Company and Vriens & Partners,

Toyota protests exclusion of hybrid cars from TNVS slots

Sep 17, 2026

Toyota protests exclusion of hybrid cars from TNVS slots

MANILA, Philippines — Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., is questioning the exclusion of hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) from the 7,500 new ride-hailing slots in Metro Manila opened by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Under Memorandum Circular No. 2026-084, which took effect on Aug. 27, the LTFRB allocated additional Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) slots

Lower rice, corn harvests expected in Q3

Sep 17, 2026

Lower rice, corn harvests expected in Q3

MANILA, Philippines — Production of palay (unmilled rice) and corn could post double-digit declines this third quarter, according to the latest estimates of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), with smaller harvest areas expected to gnaw on output. Based on standing crops as of Aug. 1, the PSA estimated palay production in the July-to-September period at 3.19

Excise tax hikes seen to push 2027 inflation to 4.5%

Sep 17, 2026

Excise tax hikes seen to push 2027 inflation to 4.5%

MANILA, Philippines — An increase in excise tax on sweetened beverages, alcohol and tobacco could push inflation to as high as 4.5 percent in 2027, adding to price pressures as the country continues to grapple with the oil shock fallout. This is according to Chinabank Research’s latest commentary, which said the tax increases proposed by the

BSP to tighten disciplinary actions vs erring banks, officials

Sep 17, 2026

BSP to tighten disciplinary actions vs erring banks, officials

MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is proposing a more streamlined process for disciplining errant banks and their directors, officers and employees, with penalties ranging from reprimands and fines to suspension, removal from office and disqualification. The BSP is collecting comments from stakeholders on a draft circular that will spell out how the

‘Kiss’ for substandard steel bars 

Sep 17, 2026

‘Kiss’ for substandard steel bars 

The expression “Keep it simple, stupid (Kiss)” has been the advocacy of the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) in addressing the dangerous problem of substandard products, especially steel bars. Given climate change, this has become urgent; though some at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) favor this, such as Assistant Secretary Regino Mallari, others

GCash IPO success goes beyond P10 price point, expert says

Sep 17, 2026

GCash IPO success goes beyond P10 price point, expert says

MANILA, Philippines — The success of GCash parent Mynt Inc.’s blockbuster initial public offering (IPO) should not be judged by whether it fetches the maximum P10-per-share price, as the quality of investors and demand after listing may prove more important. Capital market expert Jonathan Ravelas said the P10 maximum offer price in Mynt’s regulatory filing

Alternergy eyes P2B from maiden notes issuance

Sep 17, 2026

Alternergy eyes P2B from maiden notes issuance

MANILA, Philippines — Alternergy Holdings Corp., a listed renewable energy company, is making its debut in the debt market to raise P2 billion, as it rolls out more clean power facilities. The company on Wednesday said its board of directors had given the go-ahead to issue green fixed-rate notes worth P2 billion. READ: Alternergy inks

Standard Chartered sizes up Clark investment opportunities

Sep 17, 2026

Standard Chartered sizes up Clark investment opportunities

MANILA, Philippines — The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is bringing in one of Asia’s oldest banks to scout investment and financing opportunities across its Clark properties, which form part of the foreign-backed Luzon Economic Corridor. Under a memorandum of understanding, Standard Chartered Bank Philippines—the first foreign bank established in the country—will jointly study with

SM Prime, WWF enter 5th phase of conservation project

Sep 17, 2026

SM Prime, WWF enter 5th phase of conservation project

MANILA, Philippines — SM Prime Holdings Inc. has renewed its nearly two-decade partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines (WWF-Philippines) to strengthen marine conservation efforts at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas. SM Prime said on Wednesday that, through leisure resort residences developer Costa del Hamilo Inc. (CDHI), it entered the fifth phase of the Hamilo Coast

Meralco unit tapped for Filinvest’s EV needs

Sep 17, 2026

Meralco unit tapped for Filinvest’s EV needs

MANILA, Philippines — Filinvest Group has tapped the green mobility subsidiary of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to equip its properties with solutions supporting electric vehicles (EVs). In a statement on Wednesday, Movem Electric Inc. said the partnership would cover the deployment of EV requirements across Filinvest’s commercial, residential and office developments. READ: Toyota cautious but

Grab takes the reins of fintech Atome Financial

Sep 17, 2026

Grab takes the reins of fintech Atome Financial

MANILA, Philippines — Grab is deepening its push into financial services with a $1.49-billion deal to acquire a controlling stake in Atome Financial, the Singapore-based buy now, pay later (BNPL) fintech that operates in the Philippines and four other Southeast Asian markets. On Tuesday, Grab said it would acquire a 60-percent equity interest in Atome Financial

Hong Kong stocks decline after Fed raises interest rates and signals more to come

Sep 17, 2026

Hong Kong stocks decline after Fed raises interest rates and signals more to come

Stocks in Hong Kong and mainland China fell on Thursday, after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years and signalled that further tightening remained on the table. The benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 0.4 per cent to 24,604.29 at the close. The Hang Seng Tech Index lost 0.3 per cent. Rate-sensitive stocks such as property developers and gold producers led the decline. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index slipped 0.5 per cent, while the chip-heavy Star Market...

Gold rebounds after Fed rate rise as banks back long-term demand outlook

Sep 17, 2026

Gold rebounds after Fed rate rise as banks back long-term demand outlook

Gold prices bounced back after the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate increase, as analysts and investment banks maintained a positive long-term outlook for the metal, citing structural challenges facing the world’s largest economy. Spot gold traded at US$4,326 an ounce at 4pm on Thursday in Hong Kong, up 1.52 per cent since the market opened at noon. The bullion once dived as much as 2.7 per cent to US$4,234 at 3am in Hong Kong, right after the Fed meeting. The US central bank announced a...

US rate increase should only have short-term impact on Hong Kong stocks: CICC

Sep 17, 2026

US rate increase should only have short-term impact on Hong Kong stocks: CICC

Hong Kong stocks could face greater volatility from renewed US monetary tightening, but the impact should be short-lived unless the Federal Reserve embarks on a sustained rate-increase cycle, according to China International Capital Corporation (CICC). The Fed rate increase would not necessarily spell losses for Hong Kong stocks, as monetary conditions were only one of several factors driving the market, said Liu Gang, chief offshore China and overseas strategist and managing director at CICC...

After US rate hikes, HKMA says Hong Kong dollar could come under pressure

Sep 16, 2026

After US rate hikes, HKMA says Hong Kong dollar could come under pressure

The Hong Kong dollar may come under pressure against the US dollar after the first interest rate rise in three years, but the city does not face a heightened bad-debt risk despite higher borrowing costs, according to the head of the city’s de facto central bank. Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) chief executive Eddie Yue Wai-man said the US Federal Reserve’s rate rise on Thursday would widen the gap between the market interest rates of the US dollar and the Hong Kong dollar, encouraging more...

Thailand Business News — Morning Briefing : Thailand & Asia | 17 September 2026

Sep 16, 2026

Thailand Business News — Morning Briefing : Thailand & Asia | 17 September 2026

Thailand seeks Trump meeting to unlock trade deal as US tariff pressure remains high Thailand has proposed a meeting between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and US President Donald Trump in New York on September 17 or 18, with bilateral trade negotiations and tariff rates at the centre of the agenda. Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said […]

PSEi drops below 6,000 on slower growth, geopolitical woes

Sep 16, 2026

PSEi drops below 6,000 on slower growth, geopolitical woes

MANILA, Philippines — Local stocks fell below the 6,000 level on Wednesday as investor fears of sluggish local economic growth and geopolitical conflicts deepened. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) plunged by 1.51 percent, or 90.84 points, to close at 5,916.94. READ: GDP growth seen to underperform target The broader All Shares also fell by

Prometheum Capital, HashKey Digital Asset Group, and Velocity Capital Sign Binding MOU to Internationalize Tokenized U.S. Equities

Sep 16, 2026

Prometheum Capital, HashKey Digital Asset Group, and Velocity Capital Sign Binding MOU to Internationalize Tokenized U.S. Equities

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]  NEW YORK – SEPT. 16, 2026 – Prometheum Inc. (“Prometheum”), a market infrastructure provider for crypto assets, today announced that its subsidiary Prometheum Capital LLC (“Prometheum Capital”), an SEC-registered, FINRA member crypto asset custodian and clearing broker-dealer, has signed a binding memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with HashKey Digital Asset Group Limited (“HashKey”) and Velocity Capital, LLC...

China’s Z.ai raises revenue target 25% after US$5 billion cash injection

Sep 16, 2026

China’s Z.ai raises revenue target 25% after US$5 billion cash injection

Chinese artificial intelligence developer Z.ai has raised its year-end annual recurring revenue (ARR) outlook by 25 per cent to US$3 billion, as the firm indicated its fresh US$5 billion war chest had helped clear its computing capacity bottlenecks for the time being. The updated ARR projection, up from a previous estimate of about US$2.4 billion, was disclosed during an investor call on Wednesday, according to a transcript seen by the South China Morning Post. The revised guidance comes days...

China’s AI chip stocks face crucial test as MetaX lock-up period expires

Sep 16, 2026

China’s AI chip stocks face crucial test as MetaX lock-up period expires

China is bracing for a potential massive sell-off of a high-profile artificial intelligence chip stock on Thursday, when a lock-up period affecting 14 million shares in MetaX Integrated Circuits is set to expire. Analysts expect MetaX to face “significant selling pressure” when the restricted shares are released for trading, after the expiry of a similar lock-up period for shares in fellow AI chip firm Moore Threads last week sparked an avalanche of sales that wiped nearly 49 billion yuan...

Kimi creator Moonshot draws global funds seeking ‘top-tier’ Chinese AI developers: sources

Sep 16, 2026

Kimi creator Moonshot draws global funds seeking ‘top-tier’ Chinese AI developers: sources

China’s Moonshot AI has attracted global investor interest spanning Europe, Asia and the Middle East, people familiar with the matter say, as international capital scrambles for access to Chinese frontier artificial intelligence labs, betting on their high-stakes race against US rivals. The Beijing-based developer of the Kimi family of AI models has seen mounting interest from overseas players ranging from European investment firms to Middle East family offices, with some seeking indirect...

Developer family’s deals highlight capital shift across Hong Kong property sectors

Sep 16, 2026

Developer family’s deals highlight capital shift across Hong Kong property sectors

A third-generation member of a long-established Hong Kong developer family has bought a HK$98.8 million (US$12.6 million) luxury flat in Mid-Levels, weeks after the family sold a long-held North Point property, highlighting a broader market trend of capital shifting across real estate sectors. John Lai Sung-ziang agreed to buy a high-floor unit at Estoril Court on August 31, Land Registry records showed. The price for the four-bedroom flat, which has a saleable area of 2,888 square feet,...

Peso strengthens for 2nd straight trading day; PSEi falls to 5,916.94

Sep 16, 2026

Peso strengthens for 2nd straight trading day; PSEi falls to 5,916.94

The Philippine peso appreciated against the US dollar for the second straight trading day on Wednesday, as global crude oil prices eased following reports indicating higher energy inventories in the United States.

EU opens door for Canada to become first associate member, EU Commission President says

Sep 16, 2026

EU opens door for Canada to become first associate member, EU Commission President says

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become the first associate member, a status that does not exist under the bloc's treaties.

US crypto bill stumble sparks call for Hong Kong to seize ‘critical strategic window’

Sep 16, 2026

US crypto bill stumble sparks call for Hong Kong to seize ‘critical strategic window’

The US Senate’s rejection of the Clarity Act – a landmark bill meant to regulate cryptocurrency market structure – has opened a window for Hong Kong to accelerate its digital asset ambitions, industry insiders say, even as the sector remains mired in a slump after a brief rally last month. Beijing’s ban on crypto remains in force in mainland China, but Hong Kong has received approval to develop itself as a digital asset hub, with the stalled push in Washington presenting the city with what...

Tesla revives China discounts; Iran war drives shift to electric cars: 7 EV reads

Sep 16, 2026

Tesla revives China discounts; Iran war drives shift to electric cars: 7 EV reads

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Market squeeze: Tesla revives China price cuts to stem slumping deliveries Tesla China has launched discounts on its Shanghai-made cars for the first time since the end of 2024, responding to falling deliveries in the world’s largest market for electric vehicles (EVs). 2. ‘Key pillar’:...

Palace assures sufficient fuel supplies amid Middle East crisis

Sep 16, 2026

Palace assures sufficient fuel supplies amid Middle East crisis

After the price of Dubai crude oil breached the $80-per-barrel threshold, Malacañang on Wednesday assured there are adequate supplies of fuel but has yet to issue a decision on the possible suspension of the excise tax.

First update made to ISO 9001 in a decade, with China shaping AI, cybersecurity standards

Sep 16, 2026

First update made to ISO 9001 in a decade, with China shaping AI, cybersecurity standards

China’s contributions and leadership were of considerable value to the revision of new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for artificial intelligence, intelligent transport systems and cybersecurity, according to the global body. The ISO made the comments as it released ISO 9001:2026 on Wednesday, which is the first major revision to ISO 9001 – an international benchmark for quality management – in a decade, it added. ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica told the South...

Low palay, corn production likely in 3Q -- PSA

Sep 16, 2026

Low palay, corn production likely in 3Q -- PSA

The estimated production of palay (unhusked rice) and corn may decline in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

ByteDance’s AI-enhanced short-drama app eclipses China’s Netflix rivals combined

Sep 16, 2026

ByteDance’s AI-enhanced short-drama app eclipses China’s Netflix rivals combined

TikTok parent ByteDance has scored another hit in China with Hongguo, an artificial intelligence-powered short-drama platform. Launched in 2023, Hongguo quickly became a household name by riding China’s short-drama boom. A surge in AI-generated content propelled it past some of the country’s biggest professional streaming platforms, while iterations of AI-animated dramas – using AI video models including ByteDance’s Seedance – gave it further lift. Hongguo has overtaken the country’s four...

Hong Kong rated Asia’s top financial hub for fourth straight year: report

Sep 16, 2026

Hong Kong rated Asia’s top financial hub for fourth straight year: report

Hong Kong has retained its status as Asia’s top financial hub for a fourth consecutive edition of the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), even as many of the world’s leading centres saw their scores slip slightly amid rising geopolitical headwinds. The city also ranked third globally in the 40th edition of the twice-yearly report, released on Wednesday amid a remarkably tight race at the top of global finance. Hong Kong scored 756, just one point behind London and a point ahead of Singapore....

Investors prepare for ‘super-central-bank week’ as US rate increase appears done deal

Sep 16, 2026

Investors prepare for ‘super-central-bank week’ as US rate increase appears done deal

With a US interest rate increase almost a done deal, investors are now trying to figure out whether it would be a one-off move or the start of a fresh tightening cycle, while also bracing for a borrowing-cost increase in Japan, which is highly likely and may jolt capital flows. As the odds of a 25 basis-point rate increase at the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on Thursday have risen to 92 per cent, stock traders have shifted the focus to whether the world’s biggest central banks would...

BRICS leaders call for restraint as trade and energy security move to centre stage

Sep 16, 2026

BRICS leaders call for restraint as trade and energy security move to centre stage

The BRICS summit in New Delhi has produced a joint declaration calling for maximum restraint and diplomatic efforts to address the escalating Middle East conflict, while members also criticised unilateral tariffs and other trade measures.

LTFRB to make recommendation on possible fare hike next month

Sep 16, 2026

LTFRB to make recommendation on possible fare hike next month

LTFRB to make recommendation on possible fare hike next month

BCDA, Standard Chartered to study Clark Freeport, New Clark City projects

Sep 16, 2026

BCDA, Standard Chartered to study Clark Freeport, New Clark City projects

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Standard Chartered Bank to conduct feasibility studies for potential projects in the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga and New Clark City in Tarlac.

PH remittances hit 7-month high of $3.2B in July, up 1.9%

Sep 16, 2026

PH remittances hit 7-month high of $3.2B in July, up 1.9%

MANILA, Philippines — Money sent home by Filipinos abroad rose to a seven-month high in July, offering a lifeline to households grappling with higher consumer prices and providing a steady source of support for the economy during a difficult period. Cash remittances coursed through banks rose 1.9 percent from a year earlier to $3.2 billion, the

Peso closes in on 63:1$

Sep 16, 2026

Peso closes in on 63:1$

MANILA. Philippines — The Philippine peso edged ever closer to the 63-per-dollar threshold on Tuesday, battered by a resurgent greenback as rising US Treasury yields gave dollar bulls fresh reason to pile in. The local currency opened at 62.90 against the greenback before recovering to 62.835 by the close, up 2.5 centavos from its previous finish,

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