The government expects overall investment applications to drop by 22% to 500 billion baht this year after a first-half slump, spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said in a statement on Monday.
But officials are hoping measures to promote investment, including a long-term resident visa launched this month, will draw more foreign investors later this year, the statement said.
The country has promoted high-tech sectors and supported electric vehicles to maintain its status as a regional auto production base.
In the January-June period, Thai and foreign investment pledges slumped 42% to about 220 billion baht, due mainly to a large power plant project last year, according to the Board of Investment.
Foreign investments, which made up 60% of the overall applications in the January-June period, more than halved year-on-year.