Foreign investment jumped by 73% in the first five months of this year to 154 billion baht, according to the Department of Business Development (DBD).Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of the DBD, said that 90 applications were submitted by foreign investors last month. The three countries with the highest number of investors were China, Singapore and Taiwan.
During the first five months, 528 applications from foreign investors were approved, a 24% increase compared with the same period last year, when 426 approvals were granted.
The total investment was 154 billion baht, an increase of 64.6 billion baht, or 73% year-on-year.
During the period, the five territories with the highest number of investors were the US, China, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.
According to the department, investors from the US established 87 businesses in Thailand during the first five months of the year, with total investment of 5.98 billion baht. Key sectors included engineering services, advertising, and contract manufacturing of products such as plastic pellets.
