Construction vs Transport and Logistics in Thailand (2026)
In short
Transportation and storage earned 135.07 billion baht in net profit, 2.51 times the 53.81 billion baht of construction, as of 17 July 2026. Construction has 283,534 companies against 85,273 for transport. Yet transport booked 2.15 trillion baht in revenue, 92.6 percent of construction's 2.33 trillion. Construction wins on headcount. Transport wins on profit.
Which sector is bigger, and which is more profitable?
It depends on what you count. By registered companies, construction wins easily, with 283,534 firms against 85,273 in transportation and storage (DBD, 2026). By revenue the two are almost level, at 2.33 trillion baht for construction and 2.15 trillion baht for transport. By profit, transport wins and it is not close. Its filers kept 135.07 billion baht, while construction filers kept 53.81 billion baht. The gap in revenue is 171.83 billion baht. The gap in profit is 81.26 billion baht in the other direction.
Net profit, billions of baht
- Transportation and storage135
- Construction54
Figures in billion baht.
Two sectors with near-identical revenue, and a 2.5 times difference in what is left over.
Head to head
| Measure | Construction | Transportation and storage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 283,534 | 85,273 |
| Revenue, billion baht | 2,325.77 | 2,153.94 |
| Net profit, billion baht | 53.81 | 135.07 |
| Net margin | 2.31% | 6.27% |
| Return on assets | 1.43% | 4.56% |
| Return on equity | 2.55% | 11.02% |
| Revenue per company, million baht | 8.20 | 25.26 |
| Net profit per company, thousand baht | 189.8 | 1,584.0 |
| Active share of companies | 42.5% | 51.8% |
| Largest company by revenue, billion baht | 50.37 | 193.91 |
Construction, section F, against transportation and storage, section H, as of 17 Jul 2026.
Why transport does more with less
The average transport company books 25.26 million baht of revenue. The average construction company books 8.20 million baht. That is a threefold difference in scale per firm. Construction is also thinner at the bottom. Micro firms make up 78.1 percent of construction companies and 68.8 percent of transport companies. Only 42.5 percent of construction companies are active, against 51.8 percent in transport. A long tail of small and idle registrations dilutes the construction average, while a few large carriers, led by an airline that alone reports 193.91 billion baht, lift the transport side.
Net profit by statement year, billions of baht
- Construction 201553
- Transport 201553
- Construction 202031
- Transport 2020-153
- Construction 202562
- Transport 2025134
Figures in billion baht.
Years are Gregorian conversions of Buddhist statement years 2558, 2563 and 2568. Transport swung to a loss in 2020, then more than doubled its 2015 profit by 2025.
Why this matters
Headcount is a poor guide to where money is made. A supplier, lender or investor who sizes these two sectors by company count would put construction more than three times ahead. The books say something different. Transport turns each baht of revenue into 6.27 satang of profit, while construction turns it into 2.31 satang. Transport also carries more risk. Its profit fell into a 153.35 billion baht loss in 2020, a year when construction stayed positive at 31.35 billion baht. Construction is the steadier, lower-margin crowd. Transport is the concentrated, higher-return, more volatile one. In 2025 the two sectors reported almost identical revenue, 1.77 trillion baht each, and transport still kept 2.15 times the profit.
Definitions
- Net margin
- Net profit divided by revenue. A 6 percent margin means 6 satang of profit per baht of revenue.
- Return on assets
- Net profit divided by total assets, showing how much profit each baht of assets produces.
- Return on equity
- Net profit divided by shareholders' equity.
- Aggregate
- A sector total, such as all revenue summed, rather than an average of company ratios.
- Active company
- A registered company that the registry still classes as operating, as opposed to dormant or inactive.
- Micro company
- The smallest registry size band, by revenue and assets.
- TSIC section
- A lettered top-level industry group in Thailand's standard industrial classification. Section F is construction and section H is transportation and storage.
- Satang
- One hundredth of a baht. A 6.27 percent margin equals 6.27 satang of profit per baht of revenue.
Assumptions
- Profit and revenue cover only companies that filed financial statements, so both sectors are understated against true activity.
- Statement year 2015, 2020 and 2025 totals include only companies that filed in that year, so coverage varies between years.
- Aggregate profit in transport is concentrated in a few very large carriers, so the sector margin does not describe a typical firm.
- Sector classification is the company's registered main activity and may not match what it mostly does today.
Methodology
Figures come from the Department of Business Development registry as of 17 July 2026, using the aggregate industry section, size and statement year tables. Construction is TSIC section F and transportation and storage is section H. Revenue, net profit and margins cover only companies that filed a financial statement. Company counts include all registered companies in the section. Active share and size mix are summed from 5-digit codes and differ from section counts by 30 companies in each sector. Year figures are summed from 5-digit code by statement year tables, converted from the Buddhist calendar, and use filers in that year only.
How we verified this
- Revenue ratio: 2,153,938,479,254 divided by 2,325,770,560,734 baht equals 0.926, so 92.6 percent.
- Profit ratio: 135,073,378,661 divided by 53,809,948,360 baht equals 2.51.
- Net margins recomputed: 53.81 over 2,325.77 equals 2.31 percent, and 135.07 over 2,153.94 equals 6.27 percent.
- Revenue gap: 2,325.77 minus 2,153.94 equals 171.83 billion baht. Profit gap: 135.07 minus 53.81 equals 81.26 billion baht.
- Company ratio: 283,534 divided by 85,273 equals 3.33.
- Revenue per company: 2,325.77 billion over 283,534 equals 8.20 million baht, and 2,153.94 billion over 85,273 equals 25.26 million baht.
- Profit per company: 53.81 billion over 283,534 equals 189.8 thousand baht, and 135.07 billion over 85,273 equals 1,584.0 thousand baht.
- Active share: 120,488 of 283,564 equals 42.5 percent, and 44,190 of 85,303 equals 51.8 percent.
- Micro share: 221,364 of 283,564 equals 78.1 percent, and 58,717 of 85,303 equals 68.8 percent.
- 2025 profit ratio: 133.51 over 61.96 billion baht equals 2.15. 2025 revenues were 1,772.70 and 1,772.60 billion baht.
References
- Department of Business Development. (2026). Registered juristic persons and financial statement aggregates. Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. https://www.dbd.go.th/
Frequently asked questions
Is construction or transportation bigger in Thailand?
Construction has more companies, 283,534 against 85,273. Revenue is close, at 2.33 trillion baht against 2.15 trillion baht, as of 17 July 2026.
Which sector is more profitable?
Transportation and storage. It reports 135.07 billion baht in net profit and a 6.27 percent margin, against 53.81 billion baht and 2.31 percent for construction.
Is transport always more profitable than construction?
No. In statement year 2020 transport reported a net loss of 153.35 billion baht while construction stayed profitable at 31.35 billion baht.
Why does construction have so many companies?
Many are micro firms, 78.1 percent of the sector, and only 42.5 percent are active.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Construction vs Transport and Logistics in Thailand (2026). Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/construction-vs-transportation-and-logistics-in-thailand-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.