Mr. Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, Director-General of the Department of Business Development (Ministry of Commerce) and Secretary of the Foreign Business Committee, revealed that during the first eight months of 2026, a total of 835 foreign entities were granted permission to conduct business in Thailand under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999). These approvals comprised 199 cases involving the standard foreign business license application process and 636 cases involving the issuance of foreign business certificates (for investments made under laws governing investment promotion or authorized under laws governing the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand). ...and the exercise of rights under international treaties or agreements), totaling 636 cases with an aggregate investment of 249,261 million baht. The top five sources of foreign investors were:

1. China: 158 cases (19% of foreign businesses in Thailand), investing 43,803 million baht in sectors such as: - Wood processing for furniture and household goods - Solid waste incinerator system installation services - Modern distribution center services - Contract manufacturing services (e.g., electronic products, compressors for electrical appliances, molds, and mold components) 2. United States: 131 cases (16% of foreign businesses in Thailand), investing 6,481 million baht in sectors such as: - Engineering services - Advertising - Wood processing for furniture and household goods - Contract manufacturing services (e.g., circuit breakers, automated operation control systems, plastic pellets)

3. Singapore: 112 cases (13% of foreign businesses in Thailand), investing 73,368 million baht in sectors such as: - Wood veneer production - Engineering and technical services (e.g., technical support, data migration, centralized user management system installation) - Heart rate analysis and reporting services based on data from wireless ECG recorders - Contract manufacturing services (e.g., sterile plastic packaging, cast metal parts) ...automated machinery, etc. 4. Japan: 112 companies (accounting for 13% of foreign businesses in Thailand) invested 53,780 million baht in sectors such as: - Engineering services (consulting, advisory, and design for production process improvements) - R&D services for automotive electronic equipment - Software development and enhancement services - Contract manufacturing services (e.g., plastic parts, powder metallurgy products, components or equipment for electrical appliances, etc.)

5. Hong Kong: 84 companies (accounting for 10% of foreign businesses in Thailand) invested 16,682 million baht in sectors such as: - Petroleum drilling services within concessioned exploration blocks in the Gulf of Thailand - Electric vehicle (EV) charging station services. ...for electric vehicles; software development and improvement services; and contract manufacturing services—such as for audiovisual electronics, multilayer printed circuit boards, and industrial machinery. A comparison with the same period in 2025 reveals an increase of 148 (22%) in the number of foreign business licenses granted (835 licenses in Jan–Aug 2026 versus 687 in Jan–Aug 2025) and a rise in investment value of 23,725 million baht (11%) (249,261 million baht in Jan–Aug 2026 versus 225,536 million baht in Jan–Aug 2025). Additionally, employment of Thai nationals by these foreign business license holders totaled 5,863, an increase of 968 (20%) compared to 2025 (5,863 employees in Jan–Aug 2026 versus 4,895 in Jan–Aug 2025). Furthermore, the majority of incoming foreign investment—totaling 418 projects or 50% of the 835 total approved projects, with a combined value of 180.731 billion baht—was conducted under the Board of Investment (BOI) scheme. This aligns with the government's policy to attract foreign investment in "Future Industries," such as advanced technology, digital sectors, AI, electric vehicles (EVs), clean energy, and agri-food. The top three business categories approved via the BOI channel were: 1. Contract manufacturing services (e.g., aircraft engine cases, automated machinery, and smart electronic products), which support high-value-added manufacturing; 2. High-value service businesses—specifically Trade and Investment Support Offices (TISO), International Business Centers (IBC), and International Procurement Offices (IPO)—which play a crucial role in elevating Thailand into a regional trade and investment hub; and 3. Computer-related services (e.g., software/platform development and cloud services), which align with Digital Economy and AI service objectives.

Director-General Poonpong added that regarding foreign investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) provinces during the first eight months of 2026 (January–August), 260 foreign investors showed interest in investing in the area, representing 31% of the total number of foreign investors in Thailand. This represents an increase of 63 cases (32%) compared to 2025 (260 investment cases in Jan–Aug 2026 versus 197 cases in Jan–Aug 2025). Investment value in the EEC area totaled 96,857 million baht, accounting for 39% of the total investment. Investors included: *China (98 cases, 34,846 million baht), *Japan (38 cases, 25,759 million baht), *Hong Kong (33 cases, 7,063 million baht), and other countries (91 cases, 29,189 million baht). Invested businesses included: - installation, repair, and maintenance services for diesel generator modules; - software development and improvement services; - modern distribution center services; and - contract manufacturing services (e.g., electronic products, compressors for electrical appliances, multilayer printed circuit boards, etc.).

In August 2026 alone, 99 foreign entities were granted permission to conduct business in Thailand. These investments comprised 22 cases via the Foreign Business License application process and cases involving Foreign Business Certificates (obtained through investment channels under the Investment Promotion Act or permissions granted under the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act). ...and the exercise of rights under international treaties or agreements), involving 77 cases and a total investment of 30,053 million baht. The majority of investors were foreign nationals—primarily from China, Japan, and Singapore, respectively. These foreign investors, who were granted licenses to operate, created employment for 634 Thai nationals.

Furthermore, there was a direct transfer of specialized knowledge and technology from the investing countries to Thai personnel; examples include expertise in waste incinerator construction management, wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) recording technology, and the design of artificial intelligence systems for automation. Businesses granted foreign business licenses in August 2026 included: solid waste incinerator system installation services; software development and improvement services; research and development services for vehicle electronics; and contract manufacturing services (such as for electronic products, compressors for electrical appliances, and specialty chemicals like high-performance synthetic ester lubricants). #SuperDBD #DepartmentOfBusinessDevelopment #MinistryOfCommerce

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