Hosting Apec summits expected to be a magnet for foreign investment for next few years

Poj Aramwattananont, vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Apec CEO Summit, summed up Thailand's achievement in organising the major international events in November at a press conference on Tuesday.

Capital is primarily flowing into the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy, the Digital Economy (including e-commerce, AI, and robotics), and service industries, such as health and wellness, beauty, as well as logistics and tourism, he said.

International investors and businesses are showing strong interest in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates that total foreign investment in these sectors will be worth around 300 billion baht.

Bilateral trade and investment projects with China and Saudi Arabia will also bring in another 300 billion baht. China has pledged to support and invest in the green, digital, and EV industries. Additionally, they are actively promoting the construction of the Thai-Chinese railway.

Saudi Arabia and five other gulf nations — Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates — have expressed a desire to invest, particularly in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) zone, in the fields of energy, petrochemicals, agriculture, green technology, healthcare, and services.

"The fact that we hosted both the Apec CEO Summit and the Apec Summit this year is, in my opinion, very fortunate for all of us. We have only advantages. We have already demonstrated to the world our readiness and competitiveness. Meanwhile, we used this opportunity to let the world know that Thailand is impartial and open to working with anyone as long as it benefits people," he declared.

Poj advised Thai businesspeople to be ready for the influx of investment. Additionally, he urged the government to streamline some regulations, lessen redundancy, and vigorously enforce those laws.

He urged the government to serve as a supporter and facilitator.