Bangkok,November 18 (AseanAll) — On November 18, 2025, at Thai Government House, a group of investors and businessmen from the Republic of Korea paid a courtesy call on Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul on occasion of their visit to Thailand under a program organized by the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul to bring South Korea businessmen and investors to Thailand.
The meeting was also attended by Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Supamas Isarabhakdi, Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Traisuree Taisaranakul, and Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI) Narit Therdsteerasukdi.
The group of South Korea businessmen and investors comprised Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Lee Hack-Young; Minister-Counsellor from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Thailand; and investors and businessmen from leading South Korean companies in various sectors, e.g., Daewoo E&C (engineering and construction); Herald Media Group (media and press); POSCO (steel and iron industry); SK Innovation (integrated energy and petrochemicals); LG Electronics (electronics and electrical appliances); and KS Group (integrated logistics, engineering, and infrastructure), a total of 27 persons. Government Spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat disclosed gist of the meeting as follows:
The Thai Prime Minister welcomed and thanked the South Korean investors and businessmen for their interest in Thailand, both the ones with existing investments and those who are interested in starting their businesses in Thailand. He mentioned about his recent attendance at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and related meetings in South Korea where he received a warm welcome from the Korean President, and emphasized that Thailand and South Korea have much more potential to increase cooperation. Thailand would like to expand trade and investment with South Korea, especially in the fields that Korea excels, i.e., smart electronics, clean energy, creative economy, defense industry, digital and AI, EVs, and semiconductors.
Thailand’s strength lies with its modern infrastructure, strategic position in the middle of ASEAN region, and its automotive, food and tourism industries. The country’s competitiveness ranking is at 25th out of 67 economies ranked. The Prime Minister emphasized that Thailand stands ready to welcome South Korean investors and businessmen, and to hear out their concern and points of view. He also congratulated collaboration between state enterprises of both countries to establish the first South Korean Industrial Estate in Thailand, located within the Eastern Economic Corridor. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be expedited at the earliest opportunity.
Vice Speaker of the South Korean National Assembly expressed appreciation towards the Prime Minister for this meeting with the delegation of South Korean businessmen and investors. He also expressed condolences on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, and thanked Thailand for sending troops to fight in the Korean War, emphasizing that Thailand is an important friend of South Korea. Thailand and South Korea has been forging longstanding relations and close cooperation in various areas, especially trade at investment in new industries. He called on the Thai Government to look after South Korean businessmen, investors, and tourists in Thailand. In return, the South Korean Government also stands ready to facilitate Thai workers in South Korea, including relaxing criteria for working visas and work regulations.
Representatives of South Korea's various industries also shared their views on promoting cooperation with the Thai counterparts.
The representatives from construction industry thanked the Thai Government and the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul for organizing the IGNITE Thailand-Korea Business Forum Bangkok 2025, which was attended by over 500 participants, of which they hoped for tangible results soon. The Prime Minister was also informed about South Korea's Smart City model, which aligns with Thailand’s Smart City development.
The representatives from steel and iron industry commended Thailand's infrastructure and skilled workforces, and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation with the Thai counterparts in this area.
The representatives from manufacturing industry appreciated Thailand's cooperation for over 10 years, and suggested that the Thai Government consider improving the import procedure, taxation, and ease of doing business in a bit to increase trade volume between each other.
The representatives from digital and AI industry affirmed their support on Thailand’s adoption of AI technologies in the country’s manufacturing and other economic sectors to advance national development.
The Thai Prime Minister affirmed Thailand's readiness to facilitate South Korea's investments, technology transfer, promotion of the BCG economy, and utilization of modern and robotic technologies in their Thai factories. The Thai Government will consider amending related laws and regulations to further facilitate foreign investment. He also extended an invitation for Korean businessmen to invest in food processing, and healthcare and medicine which Thailand has high potential.
At the end of the meeting, the Thai Prime Minister thanked Vice Speaker of the South Korean National Assembly and the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul again for bringing the group of investors and businessmen to Thailand. The Thai Government stands ready to hear out from the business sector for the best interest of both sides. Technology and knowledge transfer is also very important in parallel with their investments in Thailand.
