Figures from the Thai government suggest a high number of new company registrations could be partly due to a boom in community radio broadcasting.

The Commerce Ministry predicts 70,000 new firms will be set up this year, compared to around 50,000 in recent years, according to the Bangkok Post.

In the first seven months of the year, 42,785 companies were registered, said the paper.

Officials said broadcasting services including community radio and digital TV were among the most popular sectors for new business registrations.

Commentators think the figures tally because of recent government demands that pirate radio stations apply for community radio licences.

It was estimated that 4,000 community stations are broadcasting illegally in Thailand.