IEAT eyes Lamphun, Rayong for BCG industrial estates

Nipa Rukakhama, IEAT deputy governor, said on Monday that the agency has been allocated 6 billion baht by the Cabinet to establish BCG estates.

She said IEAT plans to spend up to 2.1 billion baht on a 1,000-rai (160-hectare) BCG industrial estate in Lamphun, which will cater to factories making electronic appliances, parts and scientific tools.

The agency will spend the remaining 4 billion baht to set up a 1,400-rai BCG industrial estate in Rayong. This estate will cater to automobile, aviation, logistics, bio-fuel and bio-chemical industries.

She said IEAT will first seek land in Lamphun, but if it fails it will consider building the estate in another Northern Economic Corridor province such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Lampang.

Once the land has been obtained, it will take two years to set up the two BCG estates or by fiscal 2026, Nipa said.

She also believes that the Lamphun estate will draw Japanese investors because the weather there is similar to the weather in Japan. She said both industrial estates will focus on smart industries and attract investment in environmentally friendly industries.