Thailand Seals Investment Market Deal With ASEAN-Hong Kong
Thailand has finalized a landmark investment agreement with Hong Kong, opening markets in key sectors including automobiles and electronics to strengthen regional supply chains and attract high-tech investment. The protocol was signed durin
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Suthammaphand announced that Thailand has successfully concluded negotiations on the first protocol amending the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Investment Agreement (AHKIA). As the coordinating country, Thailand led ASEAN and Hong Kong to reach an additional agreement on opening investment markets—a major step in strengthening bilateral investment cooperation and promoting supply chain connectivity and business opportunities across the region. ASEAN and Hong Kong signed the protocol during the 10th ASEAN-Hong Kong Economic Ministers Meeting on 20 September 2025 in Manila, Philippines.
Supachee said the protocol finalizes a schedule of investment market openings targeting quality investments aligned with Thailand's needs in sectors where Hong Kong has potential, including automobiles, automotive parts and equipment, and printed circuit boards. The goal is to deepen supply chain connections with Thai businesses, strengthen competitiveness in Thailand's industrial sector, and expand opportunities for Thai investors in Hong Kong in high-potential sectors linked to Chinese markets under the Belt and Road Initiative. This will help Thailand's economy withstand global economic volatility and achieve strong, sustainable long-term growth.
Supachee emphasized that Thailand's investment market commitments under this protocol do not affect state regulatory rights or policymaking authority, and require no additional domestic legislative changes, as the commitments align with existing legal frameworks. Thailand carefully considered the changes to match government goals of transforming the economy toward innovation and technology-driven growth while attracting investment in high-tech target industries and sectors of interest to Hong Kong.
The AHKIA agreement entered into force on 17 June 2019 and became fully effective for all parties on 12 February 2021, covering investment protection, promotion, and facilitation. Investment market opening negotiations formally began in 2021 and concluded with legal scrubbing and verification completed in March 2025. This success represents a milestone in raising investment standards between ASEAN and Hong Kong, promoting regulatory transparency and predictability, reducing investment barriers, creating a modern and conducive investment environment, and strengthening investor confidence.
