Thailand attracted US$43.6 billion in investment applications during the first half of 2026, up 37% year-on-year, as artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and digital infrastructure continued to drive investor interest despite global economic uncertainty.
According to the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), a total of 1,299 investment projects were submitted between January and June, with the digital sector accounting for US$33 billion, making it the country’s largest investment segment.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) applications surged 80% from a year earlier to US$40.5 billion across 877 projects. Singapore remained the biggest foreign investor with US$33.2 billion in applications, followed by the United Kingdom at US$1.4 billion, China at US$1.35 billion, Taiwan at US$1.12 billion and Japan at US$970.1 million.
Besides digital infrastructure, strong investment was also recorded in electrical and electronics, agriculture and food processing, logistics and high-value services, automotive, chemicals, advanced materials and robotics.
BOI Secretary General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said the continued growth reflected investor confidence in Thailand’s potential as a manufacturing and technology hub despite geopolitical tensions, volatile energy prices and global supply chain shifts.
The Central region attracted the largest share of investments at US$26.7 billion, followed by the Eastern region with US$14.7 billion. Northern Thailand recorded the fastest growth, with investment value nearly doubling from a year ago.
To support rising demand from AI data centres, Thailand also recorded 221 energy and utilities projects worth US$1.17 billion, including 198 renewable energy projects involving solar, wind, biomass and biogas.
The approved investments are expected to create more than 82,000 jobs, generate annual exports exceeding US$36.8 billion and utilise around US$11.4 billion worth of domestic raw materials each year.
