Thailand announced a national semiconductor strategy on September 24 targeting US$80 billion in investment and 230,000 jobs by 2050. Reuters reported that Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas outlined the programme in a Board of Investment statement.
The government aimed to develop a fully integrated domestic chip ecosystem generating US$150 billion in annual revenue by 2050. Thailand’s existing industry was concentrated mainly in assembly and packaging, and officials wanted to move into higher-value activities. Planned support included tax incentives, regulatory changes, workforce training, infrastructure improvements and research and development investment.
Implementation would proceed in phases, beginning with stronger packaging and testing capabilities before expansion into chip design and wafer fabrication. Priority technologies included photonics, power semiconductors and sensors. Reuters noted that the board initially withdrew its announcement and later reissued it without changing the investment or employment targets. Those figures were long-term objectives, not investment commitments already received or jobs already created. The verified development was the publication of an industrial-policy framework and its stated implementation approach.