(AseanAll) — On January 12, 2025, Thai Government Spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub disclosed a report of the Board of Investment (BOI) on the country’s economic outlook for 2025 which is expected to be on a positive trend. Approximately 800 billion Baht is estimated from the investment in 5 S-Curve industries, especially in electronics and digital industries.
According to the BOI report, a large number of investment promotion applications during August and the end of 2024 were in electronics sector, e.g., PCB, cloud, data center, etc. The investors are aware of Thailand’s potentials with its 5G digital infrastructure readiness, world-class data centers, cloud services, and modern utilities and logistics. The country is a regional hub and home to electronics manufacturing bases for world-class companies.
Additionally, Thailand is a high-potential market for international trade through free trade agreements and various cooperation frameworks, with attracting investment privileges and benefits, covering every step of manufacturing process. The Thai Government also strives to produce and develop more STEM workforces. It is expected that there be over 300,000 personnel in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in 2026.
The Government has also placed great importance on green transition and promotion of sustainable environment. BOI focuses on promoting all forms of clean energy production. In the past 3 years, Thailand saw an increasing requests for investment promotion in clean energy, with the combined investment of over 180 billion Baht. During the first 9 months of 2024 alone, total investments made up of over 85 billion Baht, approx. 3.7 times higher than in 2022.
Aside from its standard public health and education system, Thailand also boasts geopolitical advantages with its safety and resilience, conflict-free, and low risk of natural disasters. The country has become ASEAN’s top PCB manufacturing base and is currently ranked in the world's top 5.
With all these factors, positive investment outlook is forecasted, both domestically and internationally. It is expected that over 800 billion Baht in investment will be generated, especially an increase in investment in 5 S-Curve industries, namely, 1. Electric Vehicle (EV) and Parts; 2. Semiconductor, Advanced Electronics, and Electronic Circuit Board (PCB); 3. Digital Industry, Data Center, and Cloud Region; 4. Future Food Industry; and 5. Renewable Energy.
According to the Government Spokesperson, the Government also aims to implement policies to increase domestic investment in a bid to build investors’ confidences and enhance the benefits and opportunities for Thai people, while generating economic benefits.