Thai Restaurant Association Demands Emergency Stimulus in New Government’s First 90 Days
Industry leaders call for a three-month injection of liquidity and a revival of co-payment schemes to save struggling eateries from rising overheads
- The Thai Restaurant Association is demanding an emergency "90-day rescue plan" from the new government, including a three-month injection of liquidity to combat rising operational costs.
- They are calling for the revival of successful co-payment schemes, similar to the previous "Kon La Khrueng" (Half-and-Half) initiative, to stimulate consumer spending and support small operators.
- The association's proposal also includes targeted government spending to help venues manage high raw material costs and hosting major food festivals in 10 key provinces to boost domestic tourism.
- Industry leaders are also demanding a role in policy-making to ensure that stimulus measures are practical and effective, citing the failure of past initiatives that lacked private sector consultation.
Industry leaders call for a three-month injection of liquidity and a revival of co-payment schemes to save struggling eateries from rising overheads.
The Thai Restaurant Association has issued an urgent mandate to the incoming administration, calling for a decisive "90-day rescue plan" to prevent a widespread collapse across the hospitality sector.
Industry leaders are demanding a swift injection of liquidity and a seat at the policy-making table as businesses grapple with a toxic combination of surging costs and weakened consumer spending.
Speaking to Thansettakij, Thaniwan Kulmongkol, president of the Association, emphasised that the industry no longer has the luxury of waiting for long-term structural reforms. Instead, she argues, the government must be "fast-acting, receptive, and inclusive" within its first three months in office.
Thaniwan pointed to previous co-payment schemes, such as the Kon La Khrueng (Half-and-Half) initiative, as a gold standard for effective intervention.
"While not exclusively a restaurant programme, it mobilised the economy by benefiting over a million small-scale operators and 20 million consumers," she noted. "It worked because the government of the day actually listened to the private sector’s insights."
Conversely, she warned that recent "Soft Power" initiatives—despite the political fanfare—had largely failed to hit the mark due to a lack of consultation with actual practitioners, resulting in policies that were "impractical for real-world business."
The Association’s proposal focuses on immediate, high-impact results:
Targeted Stimulus: An urgent call for government spending to reinvigorate purchasing power, specifically helping venues manage high raw material costs.
Regional Initiatives: In the absence of direct subsidies, the Association proposes hosting major food festivals across 10 key provinces to stimulate domestic tourism.
The ‘Super Street Food’ Project: A long-term vision to formalise and promote regional specialities, beginning with the ubiquitous Khao Gaeng (curry and rice) stalls.
A significant portion of the mandate focuses on the international stage. The Association expressed growing alarm over foreign entrepreneurs—specifically from China, South Korea, and the West—who are "harvesting" Thai recipes to open lucrative businesses abroad without Thai involvement.
"Raw chicken may cost 70 baht per kilogram locally, but it commands 500 baht as a finished dish overseas," Thaniwan explained. "Thai cuisine remains a growth industry even in a downturn, but we are currently seeing our national identity and the resulting profit margins fall into foreign hands."
The Association is now calling on the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) to aggressively support mid-sized Thai operators in expanding overseas to reclaim their share of the global market.
The report concludes with a warning on policy volatility. Previous stimulus measures generated nearly 80 billion baht in economic circulation, yet the momentum stalled the moment the schemes ended.
The Association argues that a sustained, three-month push is the minimum requirement for the industry to truly regain its footing and survive into the latter half of 2026.
