In light of the economic implications of escalating unrest in the Middle East, Thailand’s Minister of Commerce, Suphajee Suthumpun, has set six key measures to mitigate the impacts on exporters and consumers.

1. Price oversight and profiteering prevention—Closely monitoring consumer goods prices, preventing unreasonable hoarding, ensuring that price hikes are justified, and tracking cost pass-through from energy to retail prices;

2. Securing alternative source of raw materials—Coordinating with importers to review stock levels, diversifying supply chains away from high-risk zones, and encouraging the use of domestic raw materials;

3. Exporter support and logistics management— Collaborating with the private sector to assess the impact of rising freight and insurance costs, offering in-depth advice on cost control, adjusting delivery terms, and diversifying markets to reduce risk;

4. Closer coordination with sea freight and logistic operators—Monitoring the shipping route situation, port congestion, and supply-chain continuity to assess impacts on exporters’ cost structures;

5. Proactive role of commercial attachés—Instructing them to report on trade conditions and importers’ confidence, and to advise Thai businesses on risk management strategies;

6. Inflation and price-stability analysis—Evaluating the effect of rising energy and transportation costs on cost structure and export values, in order to provide timely and targeted recommendations.

In 2025, Thailand’s exports to the Middle East were valued at 12,475.58 million US dollars, accounting for 3.67% of total exports. Despite this limited share, Minister Suphajee noted that authorities have not seen significant signs of overall order cancellations.