Kittiwat Patchimanan, Director-General of the Department of Business Development at the Ministry of Commerce—in his capacity as Secretary to the Foreign Business Committee—revealed that during the first nine months (three quarters) of 2026, 971 foreign entities were granted permission to conduct business in Thailand under the Foreign Business Act, B.E. 2542 (1999). This figure comprises 228 entities that obtained a foreign business license and 743 entities that received a foreign business certificate (granted through investment promotion laws, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, or rights under international treaties and agreements). The total investment value reached 271.176 billion baht. The top five sources of foreign investment are as follows:

1. China: 183 entities, accounting for 19% of all foreign businesses in Thailand, with an investment value of 46.031 billion baht. These investments include:

- Wood processing for the production of furniture and household items.- Training, installation, maintenance, and repair services for machinery and mechanical equipment.

- Modern distribution center services.- Contract manufacturing services, such as the production of components for electric vehicles (EVs), as well as metal products and formed metal parts. ...industrial chemical products, etc.

2. United States: 160 entities, accounting for 16% of foreign businesses in Thailand, with an investment of 6,940 million baht in sectors such as:- Engineering services- Advertising- Wood processing for the production of furniture and household items- Contract manufacturing services (e.g., cast metal parts, furniture components, circuit breakers, etc.)

3. Singapore: 131 entities, accounting for 13% of foreign businesses in Thailand, with an investment of 74,452 million baht in sectors such as:- Production of wood veneer- Engineering and technical services (e.g., cabling system installation, testing, and wiring, as well as testing of network equipment used within data centers, etc.)- Franchising services for food and beverage businesses- Contract manufacturing services (e.g., formed metal parts, aseptic plastic packaging, automated machinery, etc.)

4. Japan: 131 entities, accounting for 13% of foreign businesses in Thailand, with an investment of 56,562 million baht in sectors such as:- Engineering and technical services (e.g., technical risk assessment and defining research and development strategies for automotive components, etc.)- Electronic design services- Software development and enhancement services- Contract manufacturing services (e.g., vehicle components, solar power equipment, etc.) ...plastic parts for various industries, etc.

5. Hong Kong: 89 entities, accounting for 9% of the total number of foreign businesses in Thailand, with an investment value of 16,987 million baht. These include businesses such as:

- Petroleum drilling services within concessioned exploration blocks in the Gulf of Thailand.

- Electric vehicle (EV) charging station services.- Software development and enhancement services.- Contract manufacturing services for products such as plastic masterbatches, high-energy-density batteries, and automated machinery—including the design of automation systems and operational control systems driven by artificial intelligence.

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