Jan 2026: Foreign Investment Surges to 33.77B Baht, Japan Tops List

Prachachat•Economy•18h ago

Reader Briefing

Thailand's foreign investment shows positive signs in January 2026, with a total of 33.77 billion baht invested, led by Japanese companies.

•Foreign investment in Thailand reached 33.77 billion baht in January 2026, showing a significant increase compared to January 2025.
•Japan was the top investing country, followed by Singapore and China.
•The approvals were granted under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 1999 and the Investment Promotion Act.
•Investment in the EEC region also saw a substantial increase, particularly from Chinese investors.

Overview

•In January 2026, foreign investment in Thailand totaled 33,779 million baht.
•This represents an increase of 10,619 million baht (46%) compared to January 2025's investment of 23,160 million baht.
•Japan led foreign investors with 15,315 million baht, followed by Singapore (5,513 million baht) and China (5,390 million baht).
•The Department of Business Development announced positive investment signals for the year 2026.
•A total of 113 foreign entities were approved to invest in Thailand under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 1999.
•The investment resulted in the employment of 262 Thai nationals, an increase of 35 people from the previous year.
•Investments were largely driven by the Investment Promotion Act (BOI), focusing on future industries.
•38 foreign investors were approved for investment in the EEC region in January 2026, valued at 14,637 million baht.

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Key Quotes

พูนพงษ์ นัยนาภากรณ์

"The first month of investment in 2026 saw 113 foreign entities permitted to invest and conduct business in Thailand under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 1999."

การลงทุนเดือนแรกของปี 2026 มีการอนุญาตให้คนต่างชาติเข้ามาลงทุนประกอบธุรกิจในประเทศไทย ภายใต้พระราชบัญญัติการประกอบธุรกิจของคนต่างด้าว พ.ศ. 1999 จำนวน 113 ราย

Key Entities

Organization

Department of Business Development(กรมพัฒนาธุรกิจการค้า)ℹ️

The Thai government agency that released the foreign investment data for January 2026.

Board of Investment(BOI)ℹ️

The organization through which a significant portion of foreign investment, particularly in future industries, was channeled.

Place

Japan(ญี่ปุ่น)ℹ️

The leading country in terms of foreign investment in Thailand during January 2026.

Singapore(สิงคโปร์)ℹ️

The second-largest foreign investor in Thailand during January 2026.

China(จีน)ℹ️

Ranked third among foreign investors in Thailand in January 2026, and the primary investor in the EEC region.

United States of America(สหรัฐอเมริกา)ℹ️

The fourth-largest foreign investor in Thailand in terms of business count in January 2026.

Hong Kong(ฮ่องกง)ℹ️

The fifth-largest foreign investor in terms of business count in Thailand during January 2026.

Eastern Economic Corridor(EEC)ℹ️

The special economic zone in Thailand that attracted significant foreign investment in January 2026.

Person

Poonpong Na Nakorn(พูนพงษ์ นัยนาภากรณ์)

Director-General of the Department of Business Development and Secretary to the Board of Investment Promotion.

Law

Foreign Business Act B.E. 1999(พระราชบัญญัติการประกอบธุรกิจของคนต่างด้าว พ.ศ. 1999)

The legislation under which foreign entities were granted permission to invest and conduct business in Thailand.