Foreign applications for investment privileges in Thailand reached Bt234 billion in the first quarter of the year, according to the Board of Investment (BoI).
Udom Wongviwatchai, BoI secretary general, said investors applied for 291 investment projects, a 48 percent decline compared to the first quarter of last year, which involved 564 projects.
Udom Wongviwatchai, BoI secretary general.
While the Bt234 billion investment value by foreign investors was 28 percent higher, total investment value saw a 10 percent decline from last year’s total value of Bt261.6 billion.
The majority of applicants were involved in automobiles and auto parts, petrochemical and power generation.
He said expansion potential was high in several industries, including auto & parts and machinery, of which investment value was Bt157 billion, 265 percent higher than the same period last year thanks to the investors’ interest in producing eco cars in the second phase.
Other highly-invested industries were service and public utilities at Bt31.4 billion, petrochemical, pulp and plastic at Bt23.2 billion, and electronics and electrical appliances at Bt11.9 billion.
He said the projection of Bt900 billion in investment privileges this year will be achievable.
Besides eco cars, other major projects involved manufacturing of electrical appliances, power generating plants, petrochemical plants and steel industrial plants.
Investors from several countries invested more in Thailand this year including the US at Bt41.065 billion, China at Bt9.403 billion and Korea at Bt9.368 billion.
