Mr Ratchata anticipates sales of TV and audio equipment will increase by 10-15% during the 2026 World Cup.
After a long, nail-biting wait, the broadcasting rights in Thailand for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been secured. Power Mall, a Thai electrical appliance retailer under The Mall Group Co Ltd, expects the tournament to boost overall appliance sales during the competition period.Ratchata Suttapattanon, chief business officer for speciality business at The Mall Group, said the company anticipates sales of TV and audio equipment will increase by 10-15%, while other large appliances are forecast to see a 5-10% rise in sales during the tournament compared with a typical period.
In Thailand, matches will be broadcast from late at night until late morning. He believes this schedule may slightly affect sales but emphasised that having the matches broadcast is preferable to having no coverage at all.
The country's high household debt is unlikely to affect the company's sales because it targets premium customers, said Mr Ratchata.
Thailand's economy remains sluggish amid high household debt. The household debt-to-GDP ratio tallied 86.7% in the fourth quarter of last year, according to the latest report from the National Economic and Social Development Council.
