Trade on Thai and global stock markets has been volatile this month amid escalating conflicts in the Middle East. However, the magnitude of market volatility has eased somewhat, compared with the initial stage after the war broke out, as traders are adjusting to conditions. Key losers were power, beverages (raw material and logistics costs) and healthcare (potential losses of Middle East patients for extended periods). On the external front, the Middle East conflict seems to be contained within the region, but there are no guarantees it won't escalate and spread geographically. Any excessive hikes in these three sectors (beyond 30%) in the coming two to three weeks would indicate that risks could be even higher than what global investors estimated.

Source: Bangkok Post March 20, 2026 23:44 UTC