Thai Investment in Vietnam Hits 500 Billion Baht

Thansettakij•Economy•10h ago

Reader Briefing

Thai investment in Vietnam has exceeded 500 billion baht as Vietnam's economy grows rapidly toward potentially surpassing Thailand's GDP size.

•Thai investment in Vietnam reached approximately 508 billion baht, ranking second in ASEAN after Singapore.
•Vietnam's GDP in the first half of 2026 grew by 8.18%, with projections suggesting it could surpass Thailand's GDP by 2028 or within 1-2 years.
•Sanan Angubolkul proposes shifting the Thai-Vietnam relationship from competition to 'Co-opetition' to create joint economic chains.
•Vietnam possesses a competitive advantage through 16-17 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) including CPTPP and EVFTA.

Overview

•Thai investment projects in Vietnam as of mid-2026 number between 797–805 projects with a total registered capital of approximately 15.4 billion dollars.
•Thai investments are spread across renewable energy, petrochemicals, retail, industrial estates, and commercial banking.
•Assoc. Prof. Dr. At Pisalwanich reports Vietnam's GDP in 2025 was approximately 514.7 billion dollars, compared to Thailand's 577 billion dollars.
•Vietnam's attractiveness to investors is driven by a large domestic market, abundant labor, infrastructure investment, and extensive FTA networks.
•Amata expanded its industrial estate ecosystem in Vietnam by over 2,500 hectares, with Amata City Phu Tho receiving investment certification in late 2025.
•Sanan Angubolkul warns that Thailand's competitiveness will be pressured if Thailand does not accelerate strategic FTAs, particularly with the European market.
•Sanan Angubolkul suggests Thailand focus on speed, technology, and business certainty rather than competing on low costs.
•A royal visit to Vietnam is scheduled for September 14–16, 2026, to mark the 50th anniversary of Thai-Vietnam diplomatic relations.

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Key Entities

Person

Sanan Angubolkul(สนั่น อังอุบลกุล)

President of the Thai-Vietnam Friendship Association and Senior Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

At Pisalwanich(อัทธ์ พิศาลวานิช)

Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Rangsit University and expert in international economy and trade.

Organization

Thai-Vietnam Friendship Association(สมาคมมิตรภาพไทย-เวียดนาม)

An association focused on the relationship between Thailand and Vietnam.

Thai Chamber of Commerce(หอการค้าไทย)

A commercial organization in Thailand.

Rangsit University(มหาวิทยาลัยรังสิต)ℹ️

An educational institution where Assoc. Prof. Dr. At Pisalwanich teaches.

SCG(เอสซีจี)

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

CP Group(ซีพี กรุ๊ป)ℹ️

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

Central Retail(เซ็นทรัล รีเทล)

A Thai retail business investing in Vietnam.

Big C(บิ๊กซี)ℹ️

A Thai retail business investing in Vietnam.

AMATA

A Thai company developing industrial estates in Vietnam.

B.Grimmℹ️

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

GULF

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

WHA

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

Banpu

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

PTT

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

Srithai(ศรีไทย)

A Thai business group investing in Vietnam.

Place

Amata City Phu Tho

An industrial project in Vietnam that received investment certification in late 2025.

Vietnam(เวียดนาม)ℹ️

A Southeast Asian nation receiving significant Thai investment and experiencing rapid GDP growth.

Thailand(ไทย)ℹ️

A Southeast Asian nation investing in Vietnam and facing economic competition.

Singapore(สิงคโปร์)ℹ️

The top foreign investor in Vietnam within ASEAN.

Policy

CPTPPℹ️

A trade agreement that Vietnam joined in 2019 but Thailand has not joined.

EVFTAℹ️

A Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Union.

RCEPℹ️

A trade agreement that Vietnam is a part of.

UKVFTAℹ️

A trade agreement that Vietnam is a part of.