2026-06-12
Reading a 13-Week Cash Forecast Without Losing the Thread
How Thai SME owners can use a short rolling forecast to spot gaps before salaries and supplier payments collide.
A 13-week cash forecast is not a full-year budget. It is a week-by-week view of money expected to arrive and leave, built from invoices already issued, known payroll dates, rent, loan instalments, and planned purchases.
Start with opening cash, then list receipts by the week you actually expect them—not the invoice date. Overdue receivables belong in a separate column so optimism does not inflate the balance.
Outflows should include tax remittances and seasonal stock buys. Many Bangkok trading firms miss these because they sit outside the monthly P&L rhythm.
Once the first draft exists, walk two scenarios: a two-week delay in a major receivable, and an unexpected equipment repair. The point is not prediction perfection; it is knowing how many weeks of cover you have.
Owners who review the forecast every Monday with their bookkeeper usually catch timing issues earlier than those who wait for the month-end pack.