BANGKOK, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's investment pledges soared to 1,016,962 million baht (about 31 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2026, led by projects in the digital and electronics sectors riding the artificial intelligence boom, official data showed on Wednesday.
According to the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), the combined value of the 624 project applications submitted during the January-March period was roughly 2.4 times the value recorded in the same period last year, reflecting strong foreign interest despite global economic volatility.
"First-quarter investment applications above 1 trillion baht is a clear signal that Thailand is shifting from a traditional manufacturing base to a base for the industries of the future," BOI Secretary General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said in a statement.
Narit attributed the surge to the Southeast Asian country's stable power grid, growing clean-energy capacity, quality talent, robust supply chains, government support, and its neutral position outside of ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
With 427 projects proposed, foreign direct investment continued to expand in the quarter, accounting for 965,869 million baht of the total pledges, he noted.
During the first three months of this year, the BOI officially approved 649 projects with a combined investment value of 330,132 million baht.
The agency projects that these approved investments will create more than 42,000 local jobs, consume over 200 billion baht in domestic raw materials annually, and add over 520 billion baht to the kingdom's yearly export value. ■