Thailand has seen a sharp acceleration in investment activity in the first nine months of 2026, with applications for investment incentives reaching 1.707 trillion baht, or about $50.3 billion. This represents a 28% increase over the same period last year.
Data from the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) shows that 1,954 applications for investment projects were submitted between January and September. The main drivers are the digital industry, electronics, agriculture and food and beverage sectors.
Interest is particularly strong in the infrastructure and equipment needed to develop artificial intelligence. The projects related to the AI supply chain alone are 111 with a total value of over 1.2 trillion baht.
They cover data centers, cloud services, chip design, semiconductor manufacturing and testing, electronic components, printed circuit boards, optical communication systems, AI servers and data storage devices.
Over 1 trillion baht for the digital sector alone
The largest volume of applications was reported in the digital industry – over 1.17 trillion baht for 139 projects. The value is almost double that of the same period in 2025.
Electronics and electrical equipment attracted another 189.37 billion baht in 262 projects, an increase of 7%.
Thailand already has a significant manufacturing base in electronics, and the country is trying to use the global investment boom around AI to expand its position in the supply chains of semiconductors, servers, data storage systems and communications equipment.
Among the companies that applied for investment incentives in these areas are Analog Devices, Delta Electronics, Western Digital, eOptolink Technology and Celestica.
Foreign investment jumped by 62%
Even stronger growth was observed in foreign direct investment. In the first nine months, 1,309 applications were submitted for projects with foreign participation worth a total of 1.551 trillion baht, an increase of 62% year-on-year.
Singapore is by far the largest source of investment worth 1.165 trillion baht in 214 projects.
This is followed by China with 63.39 billion baht, the United Kingdom with 48.31 billion baht, Japan with 45.48 billion baht and Taiwan with 43.24 billion baht.
A large part of the foreign capital is directed towards digital infrastructure, semiconductors, electronics and electrical equipment. There are also significant investments in the food industry, automotive components, high-precision machinery, metal products and the chemical industry.
The food industry also attracts billions
The investment boom is not limited to high technology. Applications in agriculture and the food industry reach 80.19 billion baht – an increase of 59% compared to a year earlier.
A total of 218 projects cover the production of food and beverages with modern technologies, animal feed, processed starch, extracts from natural raw materials, rubber products and packaging from agricultural raw materials and waste materials.
Among the companies with investment projects in the sector is Nestlé, which invests in the production of coffee and pet food.
Energy and infrastructure are the sector with the largest number of applications - 313 projects for nearly 59.9 billion baht. These include solar, wind, biomass and biogas energy, as well as infrastructure for industrial zones.
Over 116,000 new jobs
Not all submitted applications automatically mean realized investments. However, BOI also reports progress in already approved projects.
In the first nine months, 1,951 projects were approved with a total value of 1.513 trillion baht. They are expected to create more than 116,000 jobs for Thai employees.
The projects must use local raw materials and components for more than 693 billion baht per year and generate exports for more than 1.96 trillion baht per year.
Even more significant are the issued investment incentive certificates - the last stage before the actual implementation of the investment. 1,961 projects with a total value of nearly 1.05 trillion baht have received such certificates, or 10% more than a year earlier.
According to BOI, data shows that more than 1 trillion baht investment capital may actually enter the Thai economy in the near future.
The investment boom comes as global companies are reorganizing their supply chains amid geopolitical tensions and a technological race. Thailand is seeking to use the process to transform itself from a traditional manufacturing base into a more important regional hub for AI infrastructure, semiconductors and high-tech manufacturing.