The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) expects its industrial land sales next year will rise to 4,500 rai, up from 3,900 rai in 2014 thanks to higher investor confidence.
The IEAT hopes that the Rubber City project, which is expected to open in 2017, will encourage more manufacturing of higher-value rubber goods and help stabilise rubber prices in the long term. PATIPAT JANTHONG
The IEAT also sees a global economic recovery and the start of the Asean Economic Community in late 2015 as positive conditions attracting foreign investment to Thailand.
Income from land sales are projected to rise to 5.2 billion baht, compared with 4.95 billion expected this year, said IEAT governor Veerapong Chaiperm.
Mr Veerapong said the performance this year was not so strong because of political conflicts in the first half. "With a more stable political climate, investors will be more confident," he said.
Investors from Japan, China and Europe remain the prime targets of the agency considering their long investment history in Thailand.
The state-run IEAT now operates 11 industrial estates and also partnered with operators to manage 45 other industrial estates across the country.
Mr Veerapong said the agency would back the government's special economic zone scheme, expected to start early next year initially in five provinces: Sa Kaeo, Trat, Tak, Mukdahan and Songkhla. The SEZs are part of the government's strategy to promote border trade and help out local industries.
The IEAT is also working on the new phase of the Rubber City project, which aims to turn about 775 rai of a 2,247-rai plot on an industrial estate in Songkhla into a production base for rubber products and industries that use rubber such as makers of gloves, automobile tyres and aircraft.
The design of Rubber City will be finalised in April, and after construction will open in 2017.
"The Rubber City Project will encourage more manufacturing of higher-value rubber goods, which should help stabilise rubber prices in the long term," said Mr Veerapong.
He said the IEAT will support the government's attempt to set up an aviation industrial estate. Its will help the military design an industrial estate for toxic waste.