Bangkok: The Board of Investment (BOI) has given the green light to 15 new investment projects valued at over 240 billion baht.
According to Thai News Agency, these projects are set to be completed by the end of 2025, covering sectors such as data centers, clean energy, smart industrial estates, and maritime transport. The aim is to bolster domestic supply chains and upgrade the steel industry with a focus on technology, quality, and environmental friendliness. Additionally, 16 projects with investments exceeding 1 billion baht each, totaling over 170 billion baht, have been selected for the Thailand FastPass program to expedite approval processes.
Mr. Narut Teodsathirasak, Secretary-General of the BOI, disclosed that the board meeting, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, approved these significant projects. The sectors involved include data centers, clean energy, smart industrial estates, and maritime transport. The board also sanctioned enhanced promotion for high-quality steel industries using environmentally friendly technologies. Initially, 16 major investment projects in targeted industries have been chosen for the Thailand FastPass system to speed up processes, eliminate obstacles, and facilitate real investment, supporting Thailand’s economic growth and aligning with the government’s 2026 investment plan.
The 15 approved projects encompass a variety of industries, with a significant focus on data centers. Eleven data center projects have been approved, with a total value of 184,740 million baht. Other notable projects include a smart industrial estate in Samut Prakan, a 90-megawatt wind power project in Ubon Ratchathani, a shipping and cargo handling business in Rayong, and a potassium chloride production business in Udon Thani.
In addition to these projects, the BOI has selected 16 projects for the Thailand FastPass mechanism. These projects are large-scale, exceeding 1 billion baht in investment each, belonging to targeted industries, and utilizing advanced technologies. They are expected to create over 7,000 jobs for Thai people. Examples include ventures in biotechnology, modern automotive parts, and aerospace components.
The BOI stipulates that projects granted a Thailand FastPass card must invest at least 20% of their total investment value within six months of receiving the card. This requirement aims to accelerate tangible investment and support the growth of the Thai economy during 2026-2027.
Progress has also been made in addressing investment challenges related to electricity, land, and visas. The BOI is working with relevant agencies to resolve issues in these areas, with actions including enabling direct electricity sales to data centers, coordinating land allocation for investment, and expediting visa issuance processes.
The BOI is also enhancing the promotion of Thailand’s steel industry to address oversupply and low capacity utilization rates. The focus is shifting towards producing high-quality, environmentally friendly steel to align with global market trends. Measures include suspending promotion of certain steel products that do not contribute to continuous production and adjusting promotion conditions to encourage the use of environmentally friendly technologies.