Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI), said that the BOI Board, chaired by Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, approved a new strategic framework for investment promotion on September 11, 2026.
The framework aims to strengthen the BOI’s role in driving Thailand’s economic restructuring by placing greater emphasis on the “actual value” generated by investment and the tangible benefits delivered to the country.
Key priorities include creating greater value from domestic raw materials, integrating Thai entrepreneurs into supply chains, generating high-skilled employment, and promoting research and development (R&D) and technology transfer.
The strategic shift follows a brainstorming session held by the BOI Board in July, which identified three key questions for investment promotion: “What value should be created?”, “Which industries should be promoted?”, and “How should implementation be driven?”
The initiative seeks to use investment as a tool for restructuring the Thai economy, strengthening national competitiveness, and generating tangible economic benefits.
BOI to focus on actual investment outcomes
Under the new framework, the BOI will revise its performance indicators to align more closely with major national development goals and place greater emphasis on measurable outcomes.
The framework will cover both strategic indicators and operational performance metrics, with a particular focus on ensuring that approved projects translate into actual investment and economic activity.
The BOI will also establish mechanisms linking investment incentives more closely to the value investors create for Thailand across multiple dimensions, including employment, supply-chain development, technology, and domestic value creation.
Investment-promotion priorities will also take into account global market demand and the strategic importance of different industries to the Thai economy.
The BOI will leverage Thailand’s existing strengths and potential to identify sectors with significant growth opportunities that should be rapidly developed and strengthened. At the same time, incentives may be phased out for businesses with low value-added, declining global demand, or insufficient contributions to the national economy.
The BOI will also integrate its investment-promotion measures with policies and support provided by relevant government agencies to create a more comprehensive system that better addresses investors’ needs.
“The BOI will adopt a proactive approach, closely monitoring key investment projects and forging partnerships between the public and private sectors to upgrade domestic industries and build a foundation for future industries,” Narit said.
“We will establish performance indicators and monitoring mechanisms—specifically ‘Joint KPIs’—with relevant agencies to ensure that investment promotion truly serves Thailand’s needs. This supports our major goals: transitioning Thailand into a high-income nation within 12 years, elevating our competitiveness to the global top 20, achieving economic growth of more than 3% annually, and raising investment to more than 30% of GDP.”
BOI to IPO scheme targets high-potential companies
The BOI Board also approved measures to encourage BOI-promoted companies to list on the Thai stock market under a new initiative known as “BOI to IPO.”
The initiative brings together the BOI, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to create a pathway for high-potential companies to enter Thailand’s capital market.
Under the scheme, the BOI will provide additional investment incentives to encourage eligible companies to pursue a stock-market listing, while capital-market agencies will support companies with preparations and the listing process on the SET, the Market for Alternative Investment (mai), or the LiVEx (Live Exchange) platform.
Thailand has already seen foreign-invested companies establish production bases, expand their operations, and eventually list on the Thai capital market, including Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL and Cal-Comp Electronics (Thailand) PCL.
The BOI aims to create more such success stories, particularly among “New Economy” businesses, allowing high-potential companies to raise capital in Thailand and use the funds to expand their operations and investment domestically.
Additional tax incentives
Under the “BOI to IPO” measure, participating companies will receive additional incentives on top of their existing BOI benefits. The incentives are divided into two categories.
For “New Economy” companies certified by the SET, eligible businesses will receive either an additional three-year corporate income tax exemption or a 50% corporate income tax reduction for an additional five years.
For general companies, the additional benefits will consist of either a two-year corporate income tax exemption or a 50% corporate income tax reduction for an additional three years.
The specific benefits will vary according to the business category and applicable investment-promotion conditions.
“The BOI to IPO measure serves as a mechanism linking investment promotion policy with the Thai capital market. It paves the way for high-potential investors to raise funds in Thailand for continuous business expansion, allowing these enterprises to become deeply rooted in the Thai economy over the long term,” Narit said.
“At the same time, it offers Thai people the opportunity to participate in and hold shares in high-quality, high-growth businesses. Furthermore, the requirements for stock-market listing require companies to strengthen their corporate governance and ensure transparent management, helping BOI-promoted investments grow sustainably alongside Thailand.”
The Better News English