BOI partners with Japan to drive investment in Thailand’s new trade era

BOI meets Japanese investors led by JETRO and JCC, reinforcing confidence in Thailand’s investment climate, focusing on five key sectors and supporting startups and green industries.

Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI), on Thursday (August 14), met with Ichiro Abe, President of The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO Bangkok) and Chief Representative for ASEAN, and Hiroyasu Sato, President of the Japan Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (JCC), along with executives from both organisations. 

The discussion centred on a survey of Japanese investors conducted in the first half of 2025 and the future business outlook for Japanese companies in Thailand. 

The BOI presented updates on investment promotion policies and initiatives, highlighting improvements in service systems and facilitation efforts for Japanese investors.

According to the latest survey by JETRO and JCC, Japanese investors are optimistic about Thailand's economic prospects and continue to show confidence in expanding investments in the country. 

The economic outlook index improved from -11 in the second half of 2024 to -7 in the first half of 2025, with expectations for it to rise to -2 in the latter half of this year, signalling signs of recovery. 

Despite concerns over the impact of US import tax policies and the strengthening of the Thai baht, many Japanese companies remain keen on investing in Thailand, particularly in five key sectors: hybrid automobiles, electronics, machinery, food, and metal products. Additionally, investments are set to expand into other sectors such as textiles, chemicals, digital industries, services, and green industries, with a notable increase in investments from startups.

This meeting with Japanese investors was a continuation of the discussions held with the Japanese Embassy, JETRO, and JCC under the Joint Subcommittee on Business Environment Enhancement, as part of the Thailand-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA)on July 23, 2025.

The BOI, as the lead agency, organised the event in collaboration with relevant business-related agencies. Japanese investors commended the Thai government’s efforts to facilitate business operations, such as the establishment of BOI’s One Stop Service Centre, the development of the Ministry of Finance’s e-tax system, the expansion of the Ministry of Labour’s electronic work permit services, and the acceleration of patent registrations by the Department of Intellectual Property, among other initiatives.

Japan has long been a true friend of Thailand and is one of the country’s most significant investors, with the highest accumulated investment. 

Despite intense competition in the modern global trade landscape, over the past 1-2 years, the BOI, in collaboration with relevant agencies, has introduced several measures to support Japanese investors. 

These initiatives aim to help Japanese businesses in Thailand adapt to new challenges and remain competitive, including measures to advance the automotive industry towards new technologies, promote hybrid vehicle production, encourage the use of local content in the electric vehicle and electronics industries, establish the Thailand Investment and Expat Service Centre (TIESC) as a new one-stop service, and prepare mechanisms for clean energy for Japanese companies aiming to go green.

Recently, the BOI has introduced measures to facilitate the relocation of machinery from Cambodia to Thailand, which will support many Japanese companies with production bases connected between the two countries, allowing them to continue their operations seamlessly.

Abe emphasised that despite the uncertainty surrounding US import tax policies, Japanese investors remain committed to doing business in Thailand. 

They are expanding their sales channels both domestically and internationally. 

JETRO will continue to promote economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Thailand and Japan, including supporting the collaboration of Thai and Japanese industries through business matching activities and other initiatives designed to foster a favourable investment environment between the two countries.

Over the past 10 years (2015 - June 2025), Japan has submitted 2,620 investment promotion applications, with a total investment value exceeding 700 billion baht. The majority of these investments have been in the automotive industry, followed by the electronics and electrical appliances industry, and the chemicals industry, respectively.

(2025/08/14-00:00)