Thailand has approved nine major investment projects worth a combined US$1.99 billion ( 66.3 billion baht ) in high-value sectors, including artificial intelligence ( AI ), advanced electronics, aviation, clean energy and food as global manufacturers reposition their supply chains across Southeast Asia.

The approvals, cleared during a meeting of the Thailand Board of Investment ( BoI ) chaired by Ekniti Nitithanprapas, deputy prime minister and Minister of Finance, highlight the country’s appeal to multinational corporations seeking reliable production hubs.

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 Centre Investment and Project Screening. Chaired by Thailand’s minister of energy, this body will serve as a one-stop regulatory filter to evaluate data centre proposals on resource consumption, environmental impact and clean energy sourcing before investors can apply for tax incentives, thereby providing policy transparency for international operators.

The largest share of the approvals covers Thailand's advanced electronics and digital sector, led by companies from East Asia’s technology supply chains. In the AI infrastructure sector, Datasection ( Thailand ), a subsidiary of Japan’s Datasection, will invest US$235.2 million 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 ), a unit of South Korean conglomerate Doosan and a global leader in non-flow prepregs ( pre-impregnated composite materials ), will also invest US$180.2 million in Samut Prakan to manufacture copper-clad laminate ( CCL ) and prepreg, which serve as critical inputs for printed circuit boards ( PCBs ).

Similarly, Taiwan Union Technology ( Thailand ) is set to invest US$189.2 million in Chonburi to manufacture CCL and prepreg designed specifically for high-demand AI servers and data centres. Fulltech Fiber Glass ( Thailand ) will invest US$99.4 million to produce specialized glass fibre fabric, a raw material for PCB manufacturing, in Chachoengsao.

Beyond technology, multinational brands and critical infrastructure providers committed major investments to serve regional demand. In the consumer goods sector, Switzerland's Nestlé ( Thai ) is committing US$688.7 million to expand its Samut Prakan production facilities for instant, mixed and ready-to-drink coffee, targeting both domestic and regional Southeast Asian markets.

National carrier Thai Airways International secured approvals for two expansion projects totalling US$430.2 million to lease eight passenger aircraft for its international flight networks.

For the infrastructure sector, Lomrak Green Energy will invest US$168.7 million across two wind power projects in Lopburi province. The facilities will deliver a combined capacity of 120 megawatts to Thailand's electrical grid, supporting the clean energy needs of high-demand industrial users.

To accommodate hyper-scale projects, the government has fast-tracked a seven-point energy action plan. This includes establishing a dedicated utility tariff rate for data centres, aligning data centres’ green energy targets with the Power Development Plan, facilitating clean power trading via direct power purchase agreements, 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 selections.

“These investments by leading multinationals signal strong global confidence in our industrial capacity,” says Narit Therdsteerasukdi, BoI’s secretary-general. “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.

“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.”