Foreign investment in EEC exceeds 660 billion baht, says BOI
Foreign investment in Thailand continues to grow, despite the transitional government period, which may lead large investors to delay decisions as they await the new government’s policy direction.
Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI), told Thansettakij that in the first half of 2025, foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic investments led to 1,880 investment promotion projects, a 38% increase compared to the same period last year.
The total investment value reached 1.05 trillion baht, a rise of 138%.
The Eastern region led the way in investment applications, with 1,010 projects, accounting for 54% of all projects. Of these, the majority were in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), which covers Rayong, Chonburi, and Chachoengsao, attracting 660.63 billion baht or 62% of the total investment.
Other regions followed with investments in Central Thailand (333.65 billion baht), Southern Thailand (20.08 billion baht), Northeastern Thailand (19.35 billion baht), Western Thailand (11.34 billion baht), and Northern Thailand (4.57 billion baht).
“Of these, 508 projects were located in industrial estates or industrial zones with investment promotion status, representing a 14% increase, valued at 218.38 billion baht, up 3%. The majority of investments were in the electronics, electrical appliances, automotive and parts sectors,” Narit said.
The top five sectors for investment promotion applications included:
- Digital industry: 89 projects with 520 billion baht in investment, primarily for data centre businesses.
- Electronics and electrical appliances: 268 projects with 120 billion baht in investment, including battery production for energy storage and electric vehicles, chip assembly and testing, printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing, and smart electronics.
- Automotive and parts industry: 172 projects with 45 billion baht in investment, including tire manufacturing, inverter production for vehicles, and components for electric vehicle thermal management systems.
- Renewable energy: 191 projects with 42 billion baht in investment, mainly in solar and wind power generation.
- Agriculture and food processing: 184 projects with 31 billion baht in investment, including flavouring and seasoning production, pet food manufacturing, and agricultural waste processing.
“In the first half of 2025, the total value of investment promotion applications exceeded 1 trillion baht. We expect the full-year total to surpass last year's figures, both in terms of the number of projects and investment value,” Narit added.
In 2024, Thailand saw 3,137 investment promotion applications with a total investment of 1.13 trillion baht.
Thailand's investment climate remains strong, offering stability, reasonable costs, and an efficient long-term production base.
Key advantages include high-quality infrastructure supporting industrial estates, logistics systems, deep-sea ports, international airports, a stable power grid, renewable energy potential, high-speed internet networks, and nationwide 5G coverage.
