Bangkok: The government is advancing a "three-balance" approach to address the issue of export growth with concentrated income, aiming to maximize benefits for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and farmers through trade.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Lalida Periswiwatana, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the government is tackling key challenges in Thailand's trade sector. Despite continuous export expansion, the benefits have not been fully distributed to small businesses, farmers, and laborers.
The Ministry of Commerce has introduced a "three-balance" approach, focusing on market balance, product balance, and income balance. This strategy aims to ensure that export growth generates more domestic added value and benefits a broader range of Thai citizens. Ms. Lalida noted that while exports in July 2026 expanded by 21.6 percent, and by 18.2 percent over the first seven months, success cannot be measured solely by export figures. Most growth remains concentrated in industrial goods and technology, leaving agricultural and agro-industrial products yet to fully recover. SMEs, a significant employment source in the country, only contribute about 14 percent to the export value.
The government's emphasis has shifted from merely increasing exports to ensuring that Thais benefit more from exports through structural reforms. The first aspect, "market balance," involves diversifying export markets to reduce reliance on major markets and opening new markets with potential, particularly for food, health, and high-value goods. This diversification aims to mitigate risks from economic and geopolitical fluctuations and provide Thai entrepreneurs with broader market access.
The second aspect, "product balance," seeks to increase the proportion of domestically generated value-added content by linking investment and production more closely with Thai raw materials, components, SMEs, labor, and technology. This strategy will reduce reliance on foreign production factors and upgrade agricultural and food products from raw materials to processing, standards, brands, and technology, ensuring that export revenue circulates more within the country.
The third aspect, "income balance," addresses the unequal distribution of trade benefits, focusing on SMEs, farmers, and small-scale entrepreneurs. Although Thailand has over 30,000 exporters, more than 22,000 of which are SMEs, they account for only 14% of the export value. The government aims to reduce limitations in capital, standards, technology, market information, logistics, and distribution channels, while integrating SMEs into the supply chains of large exporters and foreign investors.
The deputy spokesperson emphasized that addressing the root cause of the problem involves ensuring that increased export figures translate into higher income, job creation, and business opportunities for the public. The government's goal is not just to boost Thailand's exports but also to ensure that the benefits extend to SMEs, farmers, small business owners, and workers by opening new markets, adding domestic value, and distributing income more equitably through trade.