The government claims that Thailand's investment rate this year is the highest it's been in a decade.
Jirayu Houngsub, spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, said on Wednesday Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra received a report from the Board of Investment (BOI) indicating interest from both domestic and international investors this year.
He added that various ministries have been instructed to expedite policies and guidelines to help investors, with the aim of boosting investment volume.
Mr Jirayu said the BOI's report shows a continuous increase in applications for investment promotion over the first nine months of the year.
A total of 2,195 projects applied for promotion, representing a 46% increase compared to the same period last year.
The total investment value amounted to 722 billion baht, a 42% increase from last year's 500 billion baht. This year's applications mark the highest investment level in a decade.
The top five target industries in terms of investment value were electronics and appliances (over 180 billion baht), digital (over 90 billion baht), automotive and parts (around 67 billion baht), agriculture and food processing (52 billion baht), and petrochemicals and chemicals (about 3.4 billion baht).
Regarding foreign direct investment (FDI), Mr Jirayu said it continues to grow, with 1,449 projects applying for promotion, a 66% increase, representing over 540 billion baht in total investment, a rise of 38%.
The top five countries with the highest investment values were Singapore (around 180 billion baht), China (110 billion baht), Hong Kong (68 billion baht), Taiwan (44 billion baht), and Japan (35 billion baht).
The eastern provinces -- Chon Buri, Rayong, and Chachoengsao -- saw the largest share of investments, with a total of 408 billion baht.
This was followed by the Central region (220 billion baht), the North (35 billion baht), the South (25 billion baht), the Northeast (23 billion baht), and the West (8.8 billion baht).
In relation to the smart and sustainable industry promotion project, which aims to help entrepreneurs adapt to sustainability and improve production efficiency, Mr Jirayu said 287 projects have applied for participation.
Additionally, 2,072 projects were issued investment promotion certificates, representing a total investment of 672 billion baht -- more than double the value of the same period last year.
Mr Jirayu noted that most companies typically begin investing within 1–3 years of receiving their certificates.
