BOI Pleased as Q1 Investment Promotion Applications Exceed 1 Trillion Baht, Positioning Thailand as Future Industry Hub
Thailand's Board of Investment received over 1 trillion baht in investment promotion applications during Q1 2025 across 624 projects, with digital and electronics industries leading growth as the country positions itself as a regional AI an
The Board of Investment (BOI) reported that first-quarter 2025 investment promotion applications exceeded 1 trillion baht across more than 600 projects, led by the digital and electronics industries supporting AI and clean energy.
BOI Secretary General Narutt Tedsathirsak revealed that despite global volatility and manufacturing relocation trends, Thailand continues to attract investor interest. In the first quarter of 2025, 624 projects valued at 1,016,962 million baht were submitted for investment promotion—a 2.4-fold increase from the same period last year.
This growth stems from major investment projects in the digital and electronics industries, reflecting investor confidence in Thailand's potential as an advanced technology manufacturing base.
"The first-quarter investment promotion value exceeding 1 trillion baht clearly signals that Thailand is transitioning from a traditional manufacturing base to an industry of the future, particularly in digital and AI supply chains that have become the backbone of the global economy. This proves Thailand is ready to receive investments from around the world to establish itself as the region's investment hub amid challenging global conditions," Narutt stated.
The top five industries by investment value are:
1. Digital Industry: 873,741 million baht (48 projects) – primarily data center and cloud service investments from leading companies in Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia, including TikTok System, Skyline Data Center and Cloud Services, Global Switch, and Evolution Data Center. These projects strengthen Thailand's role as Southeast Asia's digital infrastructure and AI hub.
2. Electronics and Electrical Equipment Industry: 40,456 million baht (80 projects) – mainly advanced electronic component manufacturing, PCB production, and critical data center equipment including HDDs, optical transceivers, and AI data center servers, from companies in the US, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Companies like Multi-Fineline Electronics, Celestica, Inventec, Cal-Comp Electronics, Western Digital Storage Technologies, Fabri-Net, and Canon Hi-Tech are expanding their Thai operations with increasingly advanced technology products to meet AI and modern industry demands.
3. Energy and Basic Utilities Industry: 17,103 million baht (108 projects) – primarily clean energy production, especially solar and wind power from Thai operators such as VoltZinc Solution, Wang Khon Khwaeng Solar Energy, NP Watt, Kanchanaburi Solar Energy, Nong Khaem Solar Energy, and Ban Po Solar Energy. These projects will support Thailand's transition to clean energy and achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
4. Agriculture and Food Industry: 16,963 million baht (61 projects) – mainly value-added processing investments including natural rubber products and modified starch production, as well as animal husbandry and breeding by Thai companies such as Sri Trang Agro-Industry, Siam Quality Starch, and Farm Luck, demonstrating Thailand's potential to upgrade agricultural raw materials into high-value products.
