Chao Phraya Basin vs Eastern Seaboard vs Northern Hills 2026
In short
The Eastern Seaboard earns 45.2 million baht of revenue per registered company, 4.5 times the 10.0 million of the northern hills, as of 17 July 2026. The Chao Phraya basin leads at 52.2 million, but Bangkok supplies 79.1 percent of its revenue. The Seaboard holds 173,905 companies against 115,379 in the hills. Its revenue is 6.8 times larger.
Which region earns the most per company?
The Chao Phraya basin does, at 52.2 million baht of revenue per registered company (DBD, 2026). The Eastern Seaboard is close behind at 45.2 million. The northern hills trail at 10.0 million. Put the Seaboard next to the hills and the gap is 4.5 times. The two groups are closer in headcount than in money. The Seaboard has 173,905 registered companies and the hills have 115,379. Yet the Seaboard books 7.86 trillion baht of revenue and the hills book 1.16 trillion. Same order of magnitude in companies, a different world in money.
Revenue per registered company by region group
- Chao Phraya basin, 15 provinces52
- Eastern Seaboard, 3 provinces45
- Basin without Bangkok, 14 provinces32
- Northern hills, 8 provinces10
Figures in million baht per company.
The basin figure is lifted by Bangkok. Without Bangkok the other 14 basin provinces average 32.4 million, below the Seaboard.
Companies and revenue by grouping
| Grouping | Provinces | Companies | Revenue, billion baht | Revenue per company, million baht | Share of national revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chao Phraya basin | 15 | 1,225,184 | 63,902.3 | 52 | 79.73% |
| Eastern Seaboard | 3 | 173,905 | 7,860.1 | 45 | 9.81% |
| Northern hills | 8 | 115,379 | 1,155.7 | 10 | 1.44% |
Registered companies, revenue and share of the national 80.15 trillion baht, as of 17 Jul 2026.
Province detail for the Seaboard and the hills
| Province | Group | Companies | Revenue, billion baht | Revenue per company, million baht |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayong | Eastern Seaboard | 33,083 | 3,200.5 | 97 |
| Chachoengsao | Eastern Seaboard | 13,799 | 848.5 | 62 |
| Chon Buri | Eastern Seaboard | 127,023 | 3,811.1 | 30 |
| Lamphun | Northern hills | 7,129 | 157.5 | 22 |
| Chiang Rai | Northern hills | 18,652 | 293.0 | 16 |
| Phrae | Northern hills | 4,158 | 36.8 | 9 |
| Chiang Mai | Northern hills | 65,164 | 528.7 | 8 |
| Nan | Northern hills | 3,928 | 29.6 | 8 |
| Lampang | Northern hills | 10,371 | 76.5 | 7 |
| Phayao | Northern hills | 4,408 | 27.6 | 6 |
| Mae Hong Son | Northern hills | 1,569 | 6.1 | 4 |
Revenue per company for each province in the Eastern Seaboard and northern hill groups, as of 17 Jul 2026.
Where the register counts look alike
Some province pairs have comparable registers and wildly different revenue. Chiang Rai has 18,652 companies and Chachoengsao has 13,799. Chiang Rai books 293.0 billion baht. Chachoengsao books 848.5 billion. That is 61.5 million baht per company against 15.7 million. Rayong is the sharpest case. It earns 96.7 million baht per company, 25.1 times the 3.9 million of Mae Hong Son. Large industrial filers sit on the Seaboard register. The hills register skews toward smaller firms, though this page cannot break that down by size.
Why this matters
Province headcounts flatter the north. A business counting companies would rank Chiang Mai, with 65,164, ahead of Rayong, with 33,083. A business counting baht would reverse that order, since Rayong books 3.20 trillion baht and Chiang Mai books 528.7 billion. Lenders, suppliers and site planners should pick the metric that matches the decision. For volume of small customers the hills still count. For ticket size per customer the Seaboard wins by a wide margin. The basin is one city plus satellites. Bangkok alone supplies 79.1 percent of basin revenue, so the basin ranking is really a ranking of Bangkok.
Definitions
- Revenue per company
- Total reported revenue of a province group divided by all registered companies in that group, including companies with no filed statement.
- Eastern Seaboard
- Here, the three provinces Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao.
- Northern hills
- Here, eight upper northern provinces: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao and Phrae.
- Aggregate
- A sum across all companies in a group, not an average of individual company figures.
Assumptions
- Province is the registered address, so a group head office can book revenue in one province while operating in another.
- Groupings are editorial choices. A different boundary, such as adding Kanchanaburi to the basin, would change the totals.
- Revenue per company includes companies with no filed statement in the denominator, which lowers every figure.
- Database rows were computed on 17 July 2026, later than the 7 July 2026 anchors in the project guide. The national revenue total is now 80,146.5 billion baht against 80,148.0 in the guide.
Methodology
Source is the Department of Business Development registry aggregates by province, with revenue totals from filed financial statements, as of 17 July 2026. The three groupings are editorial and cut across official regions. The Chao Phraya basin is Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani and Suphan Buri. The Eastern Seaboard is Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao. The northern hills are Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao and Phrae. Revenue per company divides province revenue by all registered companies, including those with no filed statement, so it is a register-wide figure and not an average of filers.
How we verified this
- Basin companies 1,225,184 and revenue 63,902.3 billion baht give 52.16 million baht per company.
- Seaboard companies 173,905 and revenue 7,860.1 billion baht give 45.20 million baht per company.
- Hills companies 115,379 and revenue 1,155.7 billion baht give 10.02 million baht per company.
- 45.20 divided by 10.02 is 4.51 and 7,860.1 divided by 1,155.7 is 6.80.
- Shares of the national 80,146.5 billion baht recompute to 79.73, 9.81 and 1.44 percent.
- Bangkok 50,545.0 divided by basin 63,902.3 billion baht is 79.1 percent. The other 14 basin provinces have 412,385 companies and 13,357.2 billion baht, or 32.39 million each.
- Rayong 96.74 divided by Mae Hong Son 3.86 is 25.1 times.
- Province rows were summed from the province table to each group total.
References
- Department of Business Development. (2026). Registered juristic persons and financial statement aggregates by province. Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. https://www.dbd.go.th/
Frequently asked questions
Which region has the highest revenue per company?
The Chao Phraya basin at 52.2 million baht, followed by the Eastern Seaboard at 45.2 million and the northern hills at 10.0 million, as of 17 July 2026.
How much more does the Eastern Seaboard earn per company than the northern hills?
About 4.5 times as much, 45.2 million baht against 10.0 million.
Why does the basin rank first?
Bangkok supplies 79.1 percent of basin revenue. Without Bangkok the other 14 provinces average 32.4 million baht per company.
Are these official regions?
No. They are editorial groupings that cut across official regions, defined in the methodology.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Chao Phraya Basin vs Eastern Seaboard vs Northern Hills 2026. Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/chao-phraya-basin-vs-eastern-seaboard-vs-northern-hills-business-2026
Data & corrections
Download the data (CSV)Spot something off, or want to ask about the data? Email insights@maxsolutions.co.th. We publish corrections.
Written by
Chatpong L.Founder, Max Data, Max Solutions Co., Ltd.
Chatpong L. leads Max Data, a company-intelligence platform built on Thailand's official business registry. He writes about the structure of the Thai economy using primary registry data. His work covers company formation, industry concentration, and regional business activity.
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This page reports company-level and aggregate statistics only. It names no individuals and makes no claims about any person. Figures are provided for information and may be revised as source data updates.