BANGKOK, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's investment application value surged 97 percent from a year earlier in the first quarter to a combined 431.2 billion baht (12.9 billion U.S. dollars), driven by large infrastructure projects, particularly foreign investments in data centers, official data showed on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian country's overall investment applications rose 20 percent year-on-year in the January-March period to 822 projects, with 618 of those involving foreign investors, according to the Board of Investment (BOI).
For the first three months of 2025, foreign direct investment applications amounted to a combined value of 267.7 billion baht (about 8 billion dollars), representing a 62 percent increase compared to the previous year, said BOI Secretary General Narit Therdsteerasukdi.
The rising projects in data centers and digital services since last year have demonstrated both foreign and domestic companies' increased focus on high-tech investments, which are consistent with the nation's strategic sectors, Narit said in a statement.
This trend also reflects confidence among investors in Thailand's long-term economic potential despite the current global uncertainties, he added.
Last year, the kingdom recorded a decade-high 1.14 trillion baht (33 billion dollars) in total investment pledges, with the digital sector leading for the first time, followed by the electronics and electrical sector. ■
