Businesses associated with tourism, health, lifestyle and digital software services are considered promising for the upcoming year, according to the Business Development Department.
Auramon Supthaweethum, the department's director-general, said the latest analysis of business trends based on the number and establishment rates, liquidation rates, registered capital increases and external factors such as popularity trends, government policies and economic indices indicates interesting growth trends in those four segments next year.
Mrs Auramon said tourism businesses should benefit from supporting factors such as government support measures, resulting in more foreign arrivals.
Promising businesses in this category include restaurants and food outlets, hotels, resorts, condos, guesthouses, tour guides, travel agencies, currency exchange, event management, and concerts.
For health businesses, she said the outlook is rosy for personal healthcare, including plant cultivation, herbs, hospitals, specialised clinics, retail/wholesale of drugs and medical supplies, elderly care facilities, and accommodation services for the elderly.
"Enterprises related to lifestyle are noteworthy because behaviours have changed rapidly the past 2-3 years," said Mrs Auramon.
"Some sunrise sectors include pet care services, retail and wholesale of pet food, recycling services, environmental consulting services, and the production of electric vehicle components."
The digital services and software sector is projected to have robust growth as it addresses the digitalisation and innovation trends in both the public and private sectors, spanning all age groups and holding high market value, she said.
Mrs Auramon said businesses with promise in this category include e-commerce services such as online retail and marketplaces, digital payment processing and invoicing, online payment services for goods or services, and web development, computer programming and software consultancy.
"The trends indicate the promising businesses are largely aligned with the recovery of the national and global economy, especially in areas that faced challenges during the pandemic," she said.
"These businesses have bounced back and regained their bright prospects."
Businesses at risk of a slowdown closely align with the global sustainability trend and the changes caused by digital disruption, said Mrs Auramon.
She said these include plastic packaging and chemical products, retail businesses selling products in physical stores or through offline channels, and combustion fuel-related businesses such as retail automotive fuel sales at petrol or fuel service stations, wholesale fuel sales (solid/liquid), and mining activities related to non-metals and quarries.
