Thailand has approved US$ 1.99 billion (66.3 billion baht) of new investments mostly in high tech sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), advanced electronics, and clean energy, led by East Asian companies. The smaller share of approvals came from companies in the aviation and food sectors, according to a recently released Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) press statement.
To sustain this influx of high-tech investment, the BOI has restructured and expanded the mandate of its specialized energy panel into the “Subcommittee on Energy Management for Data Center Investment and Project Screening.” to be chaired by the Minister of Energy. The panel will serve as a one-stop regulatory filter on resource consumption, environmental impact, and clean energy sourcing of data center proposals. Data centers will have to pass this hurdle before applying for tax incentives, according to the BOI statement.
For hyperscale projects, the government has fast-tracked a seven-point energy action plan. This includes establishing a dedicated utility tariff rate for data centers, aligning data centers’ green energy targets with the Power Development Plan, facilitating clean power trading via Direct PPAs, introducing electricity usage guarantee rules, exploring direct high-voltage transmission for major operators, accelerating grid investment, and mapping water and power availability to guide site selection.
“We are building the infrastructure needed for the next wave of future-industry investment. The government is aligning resource management with its green transition goals to ensure long-term operational security and give global investors confidence,” said Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the BOI.
“By locating key parts of the AI and advanced electronics value chain here, we are connecting our economy directly to the core of next-generation global technology,” he added.
In the AI infrastructure sector, Datasection (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Japan’s Datasection Inc., will invest USD 235.2 million (7.8 billion baht) to establish high-performance GPU server infrastructure for data hosting in Bangkok and Pathum Thani. This specialized hardware will directly power advanced AI applications and digital businesses in the region.
Doosan Electro-Materials (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a unit of South Korean conglomerate Doosan Corp. and a global leader in non-flow prepregs, will invest USD 180.2 million (6 billion baht) in Samut Prakan to manufacture copper-clad laminate (CCL) and prepreg, which serve as critical inputs for printed circuit boards (PCBs). Taiwan Union Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is set to invest USD 189.2 million (6.3 billion baht) in Chonburi to manufacture CCL and prepreg designed specifically for high-demand AI servers and data centers.
Fulltech Fiber Glass (Thailand) Co., Ltd. will invest USD 99.4 million (3.3 billion baht) to produce specialized glass fiber fabric, a raw material for PCB manufacturing, in Chachoengsao.
In the energy sector, Lomrak Green Energy Co., Ltd. will invest USD 168.7 million (5.6 billion baht) on two wind power projects in Lopburi province that will deliver a combined capacity of 120 megawatts to Thailand’s electrical grid. This will support the clean energy needs of high-demand industrial users including data centers.
The approvals were made at a BOI meeting chaired by Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.