Bangkok: Flooding has significantly impacted the Southern Confidence Index, with a projected economic impact of 40 billion baht by year-end. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) released its November 2025 consumer confidence index survey, which recorded a national score of 53.2. This marks the third consecutive month of improvement, driven by optimism towards economic recovery under the government's economic stimulus measures. Nevertheless, the southern region displayed a downturn in confidence due to severe flooding.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Thanawat Phonwichai, President of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Advisor to the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting, stated that while the overall consumer confidence index has shown growth for the third month in a row, the southern region faced setbacks due to flooding across 10 provinces. The estimated financial damage from these floods is expected to reach 40 billion baht by the end of the year, potentially counteracting the benefits of the "Half-Half Plus" scheme introduced by the government.
The overall economic confidence index, job opportunity confidence index, and future income confidence index rose to 46.8, 50.9, and 61.9, respectively, showing improvement for the second consecutive month. These figures are an increase from October's indexes of 45.5, 49.7, and 60.6, respectively.
The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) increased from 51.9 to 53.2, signifying a positive trend over the past three months. However, the index remaining below 100 suggests ongoing concerns about the pace of economic recovery and high living costs. Factors such as flooding in southern Thailand, an ongoing trade war, and tensions between Thailand and Cambodia continue to weigh on consumer sentiment.
Despite these challenges, consumer confidence across all categories improved for the second straight month, rising from 35.3 to 36.5. The Future Confidence Index also saw a rise for the third consecutive month, from 60.1 to 61.5. Although the Consumer Confidence Index is still below the threshold of 100, indicating a lack of full confidence, there is growing optimism that initiatives like the "Half-Half Plus" scheme will bolster economic recovery. The coming months will be crucial in determining the extent of consumer confidence and spending.