Pichai invites Japan to invest in AI, other future industries in Thailand

Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan said on Thursday that he met his Japanese counterpart last week and invited Japan to invest in future industries, including semiconductors and AI, in Thailand.

Pichai stated that he met Japan’s State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ogushi Masaki, on the sidelines of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meeting in Paris last week.

He said he invited Japanese investors, through Masaki, to expand their investments in Thailand, especially in future industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data centres, printed circuit boards, biotechnology, and robotics.

Pichai emphasized that Thailand would like to remain part of Japan’s supply chain in these future industries through further investments by Japanese firms.

He mentioned that Japan is Thailand's third-largest trading partner and the leading country in terms of investment, with over 6,000 Japanese firms having invested in Thailand.

Pichai also highlighted that the Thai government is currently revising regulations to make it more convenient for foreign businesses to invest in Thailand, aiming to build confidence, particularly among Japanese investors.

Pichai proposed that Masaki work to enhance cooperation with Thailand in digital and green economies, enabling Thai investors to benefit from technology transfers from Japan to remain competitive.

During the meeting, Pichai said he and Masaki also discussed the enforcement of the electronic commerce agreement by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the promotion of the WTO as a mechanism for settling trade disputes. Pichai expressed his support for Masaki’s proposals.

During the OECD meeting, Pichai also met several Japanese ministers. Late last year, he had met Japan’s Digital Minister Taro Kono and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who informed him of Japan’s plan to invest over 10 trillion yen in the next ten years to develop its semiconductor and AI industries. Pichai said Thailand hopes to be part of the supply chain for this initiative.

In 2024, the bilateral trade value between Thailand and Japan was 52.02 billion US dollars, with Thailand exporting 23.285 billion US dollars worth of goods to Japan.