Mean vs Median Revenue of Thai Sections and Provinces 2026
In short
The average Thai province books 1.04 trillion baht of revenue, but the median province books only 111.9 billion baht, as of 17 July 2026. That is a gap of 9.3 times. Across the 21 industry sections the mean is 3.81 trillion baht against a median of 815.6 billion, a gap of 4.7 times. Bangkok alone holds 63.1 percent of provincial revenue. Two sections hold 79.8 percent of section revenue. The headline average describes almost no one.
How far above the median is the average?
Far above, and the gap is wider across provinces than across industries. Across 77 provinces, mean revenue is 1.04 trillion baht and the median is 111.9 billion baht, so the mean is 9.3 times the median (DBD, 2026). Across 21 industry sections, mean revenue is 3.81 trillion baht and the median is 815.6 billion baht, a ratio of 4.7. The median province is Surin. The median section is electricity and gas. Neither is small in any everyday sense, yet both sit a long way below the number a headline average would suggest.
Mean and median revenue, sections and provinces
- Sections: mean4
- Sections: median1
- Provinces: mean1
- Provinces: median0
Figures in trillion baht of revenue per unit.
In each pair the mean towers over the median because a handful of giant units pull the average upward.
The units that pull the average up
| Unit | Type | Revenue, billion baht | Share of its group total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale and retail trade | Section | 38,739.3 | 48.4% |
| Manufacturing | Section | 25,131.0 | 31.4% |
| Financial and insurance | Section | 3,303.8 | 4.1% |
| Electricity and gas, the median section | Section | 815.6 | 1.0% |
| Bangkok | Province | 50,545.0 | 63.1% |
| Samut Prakan | Province | 4,821.5 | 6.0% |
| Chon Buri | Province | 3,811.1 | 4.8% |
| Rayong | Province | 3,200.5 | 4.0% |
| Pathum Thani | Province | 2,098.5 | 2.6% |
| Surin, the median province | Province | 111.9 | 0.1% |
| Mae Hong Son, the smallest province | Province | 6.1 | 0.01% |
Largest industry sections and provinces by reported revenue, with the median unit for reference, as of 17 Jul 2026.
Why the mean misleads
Only 2 of 21 sections earn more than the section mean. Only 8 of 77 provinces earn more than the provincial mean. Wholesale and retail alone supplies 48.4 percent of all section revenue, and manufacturing adds another 31.4 percent. Bangkok supplies 63.1 percent of provincial revenue. The five largest provinces together supply 80.5 percent. Strip Bangkok out and the average of the other 76 provinces falls to 388.3 billion baht, which is still more than three times the median of 111.9 billion. The skew is not only a Bangkok story. It runs all the way down the ranking.
Why this matters
Anyone sizing a market from an average is quietly sizing the wrong place. A sales plan built on the provincial mean of 1.04 trillion baht would fit eight provinces and miss the other 69. The median is the better guide to the territory a typical regional distributor, lender or landlord will actually meet. It is Surin, not Bangkok, at 111.9 billion baht. The sensible habit is simple. Quote the median first, then say how many units clear the mean. When 8 of 77 do, the mean is describing the exceptions.
Definitions
- Mean
- The total divided by the number of units. Here the total revenue of all sections or provinces divided by 21 or 77.
- Median
- The middle value when units are ranked by revenue. Half the units earn more and half earn less.
- Mean to median ratio
- The mean divided by the median. A value near 1 means a balanced spread. A high value means a few large units dominate.
- TSIC section
- One of the 21 lettered top level groups of the Thai Standard Industrial Classification, such as manufacturing or real estate.
Assumptions
- Only companies that filed a financial statement contribute revenue.
- Revenue is booked where a company is registered, which can differ from where activity happens, and this favours Bangkok.
- Rows with no recorded province are excluded, and some companies carry no section, so the two group totals differ slightly.
- Mean and median are taken across unit totals, not across individual companies.
Methodology
Revenue is the total reported revenue of companies in each unit that filed a financial statement, taken from the Department of Business Development registry as of 17 July 2026. Sections are the 21 lettered TSIC industry sections. Provinces are the 77 named provinces including Bangkok. Rows with no recorded province, 556 companies with 24.4 billion baht, are excluded. Section totals sum to 80.08 trillion baht, slightly below the national figure because some companies carry no section. The mean is the unit total divided by the number of units. The median is the middle unit when units are ranked by revenue. Both are computed on unit totals, not on individual companies.
How we verified this
- Section revenue for all 21 sections was summed to 80,075,153,974,806 baht. Dividing by 21 gives a mean of 3,813,102,570,229 baht.
- The 11th ranked section, electricity and gas, holds the median at 815,633,659,250 baht. 3,813.10 divided by 815.63 gives 4.68.
- Revenue for 77 named provinces was summed to 80,057,095,437,018 baht. Dividing by 77 gives a mean of 1,039,702,538,143 baht.
- The 39th ranked province, Surin, holds the median at 111,864,526,055 baht. 1,039.70 divided by 111.86 gives 9.29.
- Bangkok 50,545.04 divided by 80,057.10 billion baht gives 63.14 percent. The top five provinces sum to 64,476.6 billion, which is 80.54 percent.
- Wholesale 38,739.27 plus manufacturing 25,130.98 equals 63,870.26 billion baht, which is 79.76 percent of 80,075.15 billion. Wholesale alone is 48.38 percent.
- Provinces above the mean were counted as 8 of 77. Sections above the mean were counted as 2 of 21.
- Excluding Bangkok, 80,057.10 minus 50,545.04 is 29,512.05 billion baht. Divided by 76 gives 388.3 billion baht, which is 3.47 times the median.
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 the average Thai province typical?
No. The mean province books 1.04 trillion baht, but the median province, Surin, books 111.9 billion baht. Only 8 of 77 provinces sit above the mean.
How much of provincial revenue is in Bangkok?
Bangkok holds 63.1 percent of the revenue across the 77 named provinces, at 50.5 trillion baht, as of 17 July 2026.
Why is the section gap smaller than the province gap?
There are only 21 sections and the revenue is concentrated in two of them, giving a ratio of 4.7. Provinces are more numerous and one of them dominates, giving a ratio of 9.3.
Should I use the mean or the median to size a Thai market?
Use the median to describe the typical unit and the mean only for totals. When revenue is this concentrated, the mean describes a few giants.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Mean vs Median Revenue of Thai Sections and Provinces 2026. Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/mean-vs-median-revenue-across-thai-industry-sections-and-provinces-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.
Related insights
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.