Thailand foreign direct investment lowest in 10 years
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand has fallen by 90 percent in the first half of 2016 to the lowest level in the past ten years, according to the Bank of Thailand (BOT).
Workers on the assembly line at a car manufacturing factory in Thailand. (Source: thaiauto.or.th)
Bangkok (VNA) – Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand has fallen by 90 percent in the first half of 2016 to the lowest level in the past ten years, according to the Bank of Thailand (BOT).
According to a report from the BOT, FDI reduced from 4.2 billion USD in the first half of 2015 to 347 million USD in the same period in 2016, the lowest level since 2005.
The economic reason leading to the reduction was attributed to Thailand’s industrial structure that mainly manufactures low-technology products while wages have increased at a relatively fast pace in comparison with neighbouring countries.
The slowdown of the global economy has also influenced foreign investment as investors have been reluctant to pour money into big projects.
Thailand’s unstable politics in recent years has also affected FDI in Thailand.
On August 7, Thailand will hold a referendum on a new constitution amidst increasingly intense disagreements on the country’s development.
The draft constitution has much controversial content and is likely to be scrapped, which will increase instability in the Southeast Asian country.
However, the Thai government’s Board of Investment (BoI) rejected the BOT’s report and said the bank’s remarks were based on purely financial data while BoI said FDI projects registered in the first half of 2016 showed this capital has been on the rise.
According to the BoI, the Southeast Asian country attracted 328 FDI pro♊jects with a combined investment of 2.43 billion USD in the first six months of 2016.-VNA
President Tran Dai Quang has affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of attaching importance to the strategic partnership with Thailand and expressed his wish for the ties to have new progresses.
The Department of Skill Development (DSD) has provided a 30-hour cooking course for cooks in Ayutthaya province in the hope of promoting Thailand as a hub of food for the ASEAN region and the world.
An Indonesian official emphasised that energy security is extremely essential amid global geopolitical and economic fragmentation, highlighting the need for the energy industry to strengthen resilience and responsiveness in the face of fluctuating oil prices and the shift to clean energy.
ASEAN must deepen collaboration through platforms such as the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) to ensure regional responses keep pace with the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
Speaking at the launch of the Indonesia Economic Prospects June 2025 edition on June 23 in Jakarta, Turk noted that Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 4.9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Anti-dumping duties will continue to be imposed on producers from China and Japan while those on relevant exporters from the RoK and Vietnam will be terminated, starting from June 23.
A specialist police unit has acquired a fleet of off-road vehicles to help officers navigate rough, unpaved terrain – and flood waters – to respond more quickly to public security incidents.
The pact covers goods, services, investments, intellectual property rights, customs facilitation, competition policy, sanitary and phytosanitary, trade and sustainable development, government procurement and economic cooperation.
The talent programmes mark another milestone in the technical partnership between PETRONAS and the Energy Institute, which focuses on three pillars: promoting decarbonisation and operational excellence through innovative solutions, enabling informed decision-making with expert advice, and nurturing the next generation of energy professionals.
The firefighters found an active blaze at the lorry depot located in the city of Pasir Gudang near the state capital of Johor Bahru, with flames spreading quickly due to strong winds and igniting a neighboring disused oil storage area.
Investigators believe the operation is part of a broader scam network involving romance scams, where victims are lured into fake relationships and persuaded to transfer money.
Ambassadors, Consuls General, along with staff and their families, joined traditional sports and cultural activities of Southeast Asia and performances bearing regional identity, thus contributing to strengthening unity and the ASEAN community spirit in New York.
In his post on social media the same day, Hun Manet said energy companies would be able to import sufficiently from other sources to meet domestic fuel and gas demands in the country.
The forum, which involves global experts and creative leaders from across 14 cultural sectors, aims to expand Thailand’s presence on the world stage through innovation and cultural exchange.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Workers on the assembly line at a car manufacturing factory in Thailand. (Source: thaiauto.or.th)
