Key Takeaways
- Excise (already implemented): Factories, bonded warehouses and service venues in flood-affected areas have until 15 November 2026 to file and pay excise tax on liability arising from 1 September to 31 October 2026, and to apply, for the same premises, to continue liquor, tobacco and playing-card licences that expired in that period.
- Revenue taxes (not yet in force): Deadlines for personal and corporate income tax, withholding tax, VAT, specific business tax and stamp duty paid in cash falling from 1 September to 29 December 2026 are to be extended to 30 December 2026, only in declared disaster areas for which the local revenue office has requested the extension. The Ministry of Finance notification has not been issued, and taxpayers should continue to file on time until it is.
- Replacement machinery (not yet in force): A draft import duty exemption for new Chapter 84 machinery and parts, limited to flooded factory and hotel operators, will apply from the day following publication until 31 March 2027. An application for approval must be filed before import.
- SME soft loan (Thai-majority firms only): Flood-affected SMEs in manufacturing, services, wholesale and retail may apply by 30 June 2027 for up to THB 30 million across all lenders, subject to the lender's assessment, while the THB 30 billion facility lasts.
- EV batteries (not yet in force): Mandatory safety standards will apply 180 days after publication, and a licence will be required to manufacture or import.
1. Excise Deadline Extended to 15 November 2026; Revenue Department Extension Pending
Relevant to: excise-registered factories, bonded warehouses and service venues in flood-affected areas, and taxpayers in officially declared disaster areas.
Status: excise extension implemented by the Excise Department under its Notification (No. 21), according to the Cabinet summary, and acknowledged by the Council of Ministers; Revenue Department extension acknowledged by the Council of Ministers, with the Ministry of Finance notification yet to be issued.
For factories, bonded warehouses and service venues located in flood areas, the Excise Department has extended to 15 November 2026 the deadline for filing returns and paying excise tax where liability arose between 1 September and 31 October 2026, together with the monthly statements due in September and October. Where the licensee's factory or premises is in a flood-affected area, holders of liquor and tobacco production licences, and of liquor, tobacco and playing-card sales licences at the same premises, that expired between 1 September and 31 October 2026 may apply by 15 November 2026 and will be treated as continuing licensees.
The Revenue Department will issue a Ministry of Finance notification extending to 30 December 2026 the deadlines for personal and corporate income tax, withholding tax, VAT, specific business tax and stamp duty paid in cash that fall between 1 September and 29 December 2026. The extension will apply, for both paper and online filing, to taxpayers in localities officially declared disaster areas or emergency disaster assistance zones during that period, but only where the local revenue office has requested it. Specific business tax on the sale of immovable property as a business is excluded. Floods occurring before 1 September 2026 are to be addressed in a separate notification, which is still in preparation.
2. Import Duty Exemption for Replacement Machinery and Personal Income Tax Relief for Repairs
Relevant to: factory and hotel operators whose premises were flooded, and individuals meeting the cost of flood repairs.
Status: draft Ministry of Finance notification and draft ministerial regulation approved by the Council of Ministers; pending issue and publication in the Royal Gazette; not yet in force.
The Council of Ministers approved a draft exemption from import duty for new machinery, parts, accessories and tools falling within Chapter 84 of the Customs Tariff (machinery and mechanical appliances) imported to replace or repair flood damage. The exemption is confined to operators of factories under the factory law, and of hotels and accommodation within the 2008 ministerial regulation on hotel businesses, whose premises were flooded within an officially declared emergency disaster assistance zone. The goods must be new and used solely in the beneficiary's business, and may be imported by the beneficiary or by a distributor under a contract of sale with it. The beneficiary must hold a flood victim certificate issued by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, the provincial industry office or the local authority, which the importer must present to the Customs Department. An application for approval must be filed before import, and the exemption is granted once approval is given. As drafted, the exemption will apply from the day following publication until 31 March 2027.
A separate draft ministerial regulation, being subordinate legislation issued by a minister under the Revenue Code, will exempt from personal income tax up to THB 100,000 in aggregate paid by the owner, tenant or user to repair or clean flood-damaged buildings, condominium units and attached fixtures, and up to THB 30,000 in aggregate paid by the owner or hire-purchaser to repair flood-damaged vehicles. Ordinary partnerships and non-juristic bodies of persons are excluded. The damage must have occurred within an officially declared disaster area between 15 May and 31 December 2026, and the expenses must have been incurred within the same period. Detailed conditions will be prescribed by notification of the Director-General of the Revenue Department.
3. THB 30 Billion Soft Loan Facility for Thai-Majority SMEs
Relevant to: Thai-owned SMEs in manufacturing, services, wholesale and retail affected by the floods.
Status: programme acknowledged by the Council of Ministers; to be operated by the Government Savings Bank through participating financial institutions.
The Government Savings Bank (GSB) will fund a THB 30 billion facility, lent through financial institutions to SMEs whose premises are located in flood areas or which suffered flood damage outside those areas. A borrower may draw up to THB 30 million across all lenders, according to need and repayment capacity, at an interest rate not exceeding 3.50% per annum in the first two years and 5.00% per annum in years three to five. New lending and refinancing are both permitted; non-performing accounts are excluded. Applications must be filed by 30 June 2027, and loan contracts signed by 31 March 2028 or until the facility is exhausted, whichever is earlier; the Government Savings Bank may extend these dates if funds remain.
Eligibility is limited to Thai individuals and to companies registered in Thailand in which Thai nationals hold more than 50% of the registered capital. A company in which Thai nationals hold 50% or less, including a 50:50 joint venture, does not qualify. The summary does not say whether shares held through Thai companies count towards the Thai holding. The state banks operate other flood loan programmes, including liquidity loans of up to THB 5 million, each subject to the lending bank's own criteria.
4. Mandatory Safety Standards for Electric Vehicle Batteries to Apply 180 Days After Publication
Relevant to: manufacturers, importers and distributors of battery electric cars, vans, buses, trucks, motorcycles and tricycles, and of their traction batteries.
Status: two draft ministerial regulations approved by the Council of Ministers following review by the Office of the Council of State, the Government's legal drafting body; pending publication in the Royal Gazette; not yet in force.
The regulations make Thai Industrial Standards mandatory for rechargeable traction batteries, other than lead-acid batteries, used in vehicles powered solely by battery. The first applies to passenger and goods vehicles with at least four wheels, including buses and heavy trucks; the second to vehicles with no more than four wheels, such as electric motorcycles, tricycles and small quadricycles. For the first category, the standard is described as equivalent to UN Regulation No. 100, with tests including protection against overcharging, overheating and short circuits; the standard for the second is described as consistent with international standards. (Technical reference: the Part 2 safety requirements of TIS 3026-2563 for categories M and N, and of TIS 2952-2561 for category L.)
Each regulation acquires binding effect 180 days after publication. Manufacturers and importers will then need a licence under section 20 or section 21 of the Industrial Product Standards Act B.E. 2511 (1968), and distributors may sell only licensed batteries that conform to the standard. The Cabinet summary does not indicate how batteries already fitted to imported vehicles, or stock already in Thailand, will be treated.
5. Draft Comprehensive Town Plan for Pak Chong Approved by the Council of Ministers
Relevant to: owners, developers and investors with land or projects in four subdistricts of Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima.
Status: draft Ministry of Interior notification approved by the Council of Ministers; the Ministry is to take into account the observations of other agencies; pending publication in the Royal Gazette; the summary states no effective date.
The draft plan, prepared under the Town Planning Act B.E. 2562 (2019), would apply to the subdistricts of Nong Sarai, Pak Chong, Khanong Phra and Nong Nam Daeng, an area of approximately 55.92 square kilometres, and divide it into 12 land-use zones. Hotels are named as a prohibited use in the industrial and warehouse zone, the special-purpose industrial zone and the rural and agricultural zone, while the land reform, open space and forest conservation zones permit only uses such as agriculture and housing. Fuel and liquefied petroleum gas depots would be prohibited in the residential and commercial zones, the special-purpose industrial zone and the rural and agricultural zone. Land allocation for housing estates would be prohibited in both industrial zones, the rural and agricultural zone, and the land reform, open space and forest conservation zones. The listed prohibitions are examples rather than a complete list.
This plan covers the four subdistricts in full and does not extend beyond them. Land elsewhere in Pak Chong should be checked against any other applicable plan or land-use control.
Other Matters
The Council of Ministers acknowledged that the Ministry of Transport had not issued, by the June 2026 deadline, the subordinate legislation required under the Common Ticket System Management Act B.E. 2568 (2025). Twenty draft instruments have been prepared and are expected to be issued in 2026. The Council of Ministers also approved domestic borrowing by the Provincial Electricity Authority within a ceiling of THB 10,406 million for 11 investment programmes, to be drawn as needed; the Energy Regulatory Commission noted that these investment costs pass through to electricity users. It approved draft visa exemption agreements, to be signed this month, with Spain, for official passports, and with Portugal, for diplomatic, official and special passports; ordinary passports are not covered. The Council of Ministers stated that it is ready to answer a no-confidence debate against individual ministers in the House of Representatives on 27 to 29 October 2026, subject to agreeing the dates with the Speaker.
How Dej-Udom & Associates Can Assist
- Taxation: excise, Revenue Department and customs relief claims, and filing positions pending publication of the relevant notifications.
- Corporate & Commercial: shareholding and eligibility reviews for the soft loan facility; product standards and supply contracts for electric vehicle and battery importers; and land and project due diligence in Pak Chong.
For further information, please contact us at +66 (0)2 233 0055 or [email protected].
Source: Cabinet Secretariat summary of the meeting of 20 October 2026, as republished by the National Innovation Agency. The summary is provisional, and the formal Cabinet resolution should be confirmed before any reliance is placed on it.
Disclaimer: This publication is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific legal counsel. For advice tailored to your circumstances, please contact Dej-Udom & Associates directly.