Thailand's bid to attract semiconductor investment is drawing a call from JPMorgan Chase executives to build on existing manufacturing capabilities as companies diversify supply chains.
On Sept. 24, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) said the National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Board had approved the country's first semiconductor and advanced-electronics strategy. It places photonics, power semiconductors and sensors among its priorities and calls for stronger assembly and testing as Thailand prepares for front-end wafer production by 2030. The plan aims to attract more anchor investors in upstream activities by 2040 and build a complete domestic supply chain by 2050. Its targets for that year include about $80 billion in cumulative investment, about $150 billion in annual industry revenue and more than 230,000 jobs.
The BOI also reported that foreign and domestic investment applications rose 37% from a year earlier to $43.6 billion across 1,299 projects in the first half of 2026. Digital industries accounted for $33 billion, while electrical appliances and electronics attracted applications totaling $3.56 billion across 179 projects. These are applications filed with the board and do not represent capital already deployed. The BOI linked the overall increase to digital infrastructure and AI data centers.
THE STANDARD reported that J.P. Morgan Thailand Senior Country Officer Marco Sucharitkul recommended choosing industries that match Thailand's resources rather than competing across every category of advanced chip technology. He said, “A stable government and consistent policies are important for attracting investment and supporting economic growth.”
The Bangkok Post reported a recommendation to focus on chips and electronic components with longer product lives instead of trying to compete in the most advanced chips used in supercomputers.
The Bangkok Post also reported that JPMorgan Chase Co-President Troy Rohrbaugh warned AI investment on a vast scale could make financing harder to secure for government projects and companies outside the AI sector.
The plan's first industrial checkpoint comes in 2030, when it calls for Thailand to have laid groundwork for front-end wafer production.
