Thailand Aims to Boost Investment in Emerging Industries

Thailand plans to attract substantial investments in five key sectors by simplifying laws and improving business procedures, according to Jirayu Houngsub, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office.

The government expects these efforts to drive economic growth above 3%, said Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The targeted sectors include data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles, precision agriculture, and food technology. Officials predict investments of at least 800 billion baht from domestic and international sources this year.

The initiative also includes promoting supply chain partnerships within these industries to secure further investment. In the data center sector, major players like Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, and Huawei have already begun investing in Thailand.

To attract more investors, outdated and obstructive regulations will be revised or eliminated. The Prime Minister has prioritized making business operations easier to encourage economic growth. The ministries of Transport, Interior, and Agriculture are leading efforts to simplify licensing and investment processes, including applications for Board of Investment (BoI) privileges.

Thailand’s location at the heart of Southeast Asia positions it as a potential hub for logistics, trade, and barter, according to Jirayu. The government is also intensifying efforts to promote year-round tourism to eliminate seasonal downturns in the industry.