South Korean entrepreneurs have expressed an interest in investing in the new Smart Park Industrial Estate in Rayong, meant to serve targeted industries such as digital technology, says the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT).
They indicated their interest at a recent meeting with the authority to discuss their business expansion in Thailand.
"The prospective investors are interested in projects that use Thailand as an export base," said Yuthasak Supasorn, chairman of the IEAT board.
The IEAT previously announced the construction of Smart Park, which spans 1,383 rai of land in Map Ta Phut in Rayong, was complete.
The authority is preparing to open the new industrial estate and conduct a feasibility study on hydrogen fuel to serve investors who want to use clean energy.
One South Korean company is conducting a feasibility study on renewable energy to support investment in the electric truck business, said Mr Yuthasak.
The firm asked the IEAT to coordinate with the Energy Regulatory Commission on the energy issue.
Some other South Korean companies are interested in medical device and solar energy businesses.
According to the IEAT, the 12-billion-baht Smart Park focuses on targeted industries, including digital technology, medical devices, robotics, as well as aviation and logistics.
The park also supports a campaign to achieve a net-zero target, a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and absorption.
The IEAT divided Smart Park into four zones, with an industrial area covering most of the total park area, comprising 621.5 rai. The other zones are commercial, green and an area where infrastructure, including floating solar farms, are built.
Smart Park is expected to create 7,459 jobs and generate 1.3 billion baht a year for the economy, according to the authority.
The new estate will support the IEAT's investment campaign dubbed "Now Thailand," which is aimed to have investment play a major role in boosting GDP.
Authorities set a target to have investment value in the country make up 27% of GDP by 2026, according to media reports.