Bangkok: The Department of Business Development has reported a slowdown in new business registrations for November 2025, with a total of 5,554 new businesses registered. This figure marks a decrease from both the previous month and the same period last year. Despite this decline, foreign investment in Thailand has shown significant growth, reflecting confidence in the country’s economic potential.
According to Thai News Agency, the first 11 months of 2025 saw 973 foreign investors conducting business in Thailand, with investments totaling over 311 billion baht. This increase in both the number of investors and investment value underscores the long-term potential of the Thai economy. Mr. Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, Director-General of the Department of Business Development, highlighted the analysis of new business registrations in November 2025, which showed a month-on-month decrease of 1,611 businesses compared to October, and a year-on-year decrease of 712 businesses compared to November 2024.
Registered capital in November stood at 14,860 million baht, reflecting a decrease of 6,917 million baht from the previous month and a decrease of 9,360 million baht from November 2024. Despite the overall economic slowdown indicated by these statistics, certain business categories saw significant year-on-year growth, particularly hotels, resorts, and apartments, which registered a 46.98% increase in establishments.
In the broader context, the first 11 months of 2025 recorded a total of 80,064 new business establishments, a 4% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Additionally, the cumulative registered capital for new establishments reached 250,852 million baht, down by 5% from the previous year. Business closures in November 2025 numbered 2,494, showing a 9% increase from October 2025 but a 13% decrease from November 2024.
The Department of Business Development has also reported that, as of November 30, 2025, there are 2,044,893 registered legal entities in Thailand, with a total registered capital of 31.73 trillion baht. The service sector leads in the proportion of registered businesses, followed by the wholesale/retail and manufacturing sectors.
Foreign investment remained robust, with 104 foreign nationals granted permission to invest in Thailand in November 2025 alone, contributing a total investment of 34,426 million baht. The top investors were from Singapore, China, and Japan. For the year to November 2025, 973 investment projects were recorded, a 10% increase from the previous year, with investment values up 45%.
Investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) also saw growth, with 277 projects and an investment value of 101,666 million baht. Mr. Poonpong stated that the Department of Business Development is launching the ‘New Year Gift 2026’ campaign to support SMEs and create economic opportunities, offering extended service hours, reduced fees, and discounts on franchise package fees and digital technology access codes.