Bangkok: Foreign investment in Thailand has seen a substantial increase in the first five months of 2025, reaching 90
billion baht, which marks an increase of nearly 20 billion baht or 24% compared to the same period in 2024.

According to Thai News Agency, Japan emerged as the leading investor, contributing 41,062 million baht, followed by Singapore with 11,429 million baht, and China with 7,539 million baht. In total, 426 cases of foreign investment were recorded from January to May 2025. Of these, 105 cases were through foreign business license applications, while another 321 cases involved foreign business certificates through investment channels under the Investment Promotion Act or the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act, with a total investment value of 88,943 million baht.

Mrs. Aromon Traiphutham, Director-General of the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce, noted an increase in the number of foreign investors compared to the previous year. There were 109 more cases recorded in 2025 than in 2024, with the total reaching 426 cases. This surge in foreign investment also led to an increase in employment, with 2,558 Thai people employed, showing a 112% rise compared to the previous year.

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) area attracted significant interest from foreign investors, accounting for 30% of the total foreign investments in Thailand. Investment in the EEC area reached 47,744 million baht, with Japan, China, and Singapore being the primary contributors. The area saw a 30% increase in the number of investors compared to the same period in 2024.

In May 2025 alone, 63 foreign investors were granted permission to conduct business in Thailand, with a total investment of 31,083 million baht. The majority of these investors were from Japan, the United States, and China. These investments included various sectors, such as the retail business of machinery and tools, petroleum drilling services, and digital platform development services.

The influx of foreign investment has facilitated the transfer of specialized knowledge to the Thai workforce, enhancing their expertise in areas such as advanced life support systems on drilling platforms, maintenance of petroleum and natural gas production systems, and advanced machine control programming.