Is the wave of AI investment creating a repositioning of the supply chain in Southeast Asia and what does Vietnam need to do to maintain its attraction to global technology corporations?
According to the official announcement on July 23, 2026 of the Thailand Board of Investment, Thailand recorded 1,299 investment registration applications in the first 6 months of 2026 with a total value of about 1.47 trillion baht, equivalent to about 43.6 billion USD, an increase of 37% over the same period last year. FDI foreign direct investment capital alone reached about 1.37 trillion baht, equivalent to about 40.5 to 40.6 billion USD, an increase of 80%.
Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of BOI, said investment growth is taking place in a context where the world economy is still affected by geopolitical tensions, energy price fluctuations and global supply chain shifts. According to BOI, this reflects investors' confidence in Thailand's role as a hub for future industries.
The biggest driving force comes from the digital sector, especially AI, data centers, and computing servicesn cloud and data storage infrastructure. The investment value in this field alone reached about 1.115 trillion baht, accounting for the majority of total registered capital during the period. Electronics, electrical equipment, logistics, high-value services, automobiles, advanced materials and robotics sectors also recorded significant capital.
Summary table of main data
Value Indicator
Total registered investment capital is about 1.47 trillion baht
Conversion: About 43.6 billion USD
Number of projects 1,299
Registered FDI About 1.37 trillion baht
Converted FDI About 40.5 to 40.6 billion USD
FDI growth is 80% over the same period
The industry that attracts the largest capital is AI, data centers, cloud and digital infrastructure
In terms of capital, Singapore continues to be the largest investor, followed by the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan and Japan. Many projects focus on data centers, data storage, cloud services, electronic components, boards, hard drives and AI service devices.
According to BOI, projects approved in the first half of 2026 are expected to create more than 82,000 jobs, use about 386 billion baht of domestic raw materials each year and contribute to increasing Thailand's export capacity.
Thailand's attraction of large amounts of capital into AI and data centers shows that competition to attract FDI in the region is shifting strongly fromLabor cost advantages to factors such as digital infrastructure, stable power supply, preferential policies, licensing speed and the ability to meet the needs of large-scale technology projects. This is a trend being pursued by many Southeast Asian economies during the period of strong AI development.
