Thailand’s National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee (EV Board) has approved amendments to the EV3 and EV3.5 incentive schemes to facilitate electric vehicle (EV) production for export and enhance policy implementation flexibility. The revised rules allow each battery electric vehicle (BEV) produced for export to be counted as 1.5 units toward the local compensatory production obligation, which applies to carmakers that imported BEVs under the EV subsidy program launched in 2022. This multiplier is intended to help manufacturers fulfill their local production requirements more easily and increase export volumes to an estimated 12,500 units in 2025 and approximately 52,000 in 2026.

The EV Board also extended the registration deadlines for domestically sold vehicles. For EV3, the new rule allows vehicles sold by December 31, 2025, to be registered by January 31, 2026. For EV3.5, the registration deadline was shifted from December 31, 2027, to January 31, 2028, provided the vehicles are sold by year-end. The adjustments are designed to accommodate high-volume sales periods and streamline registration.

As of the end of June 2025, cumulative investment in Thailand’s EV supply chain reached THB 137.7 billion (approximately USD 4.2 billion). This includes 21 BEV production projects worth THB 41.08 billion (USD 1.25 billion), 16 electric motorcycle projects worth THB 990 million (USD 30 million), 3 bus/truck projects worth THB 2.21 billion (USD 67 million), 53 battery-related projects worth THB 80.1 billion (USD 2.44 billion), 42 component manufacturing projects worth THB 6.52 billion (USD 198 million), 29 EV charging station projects worth THB 5.56 billion (USD 170 million), and 5 battery swapping station projects worth THB 1.28 billion (USD 39 million).

As of March 2025, Thailand had 3,720 operational EV charging stations with a total of 11,622 chargers, including 6,524 direct current (DC) fast chargers—exceeding the EV roadmap’s 2025 target of 4,400 DC chargers. The 2030 target is 12,000 DC fast chargers under the “30@30” policy, which aims for 30 percent of all vehicles produced in Thailand to be electric by 2030.

By mid-2025, 203,000 BEV passenger cars were registered in Thailand, along with 71,900 electric motorcycles, 3,800 electric buses and trucks, and 1,000 electric tuk tuks. In the first half of 2025 alone, 57,289 new BEV passenger cars were registered, representing a 52.4 percent increase from the same period in 2024 and accounting for 15 percent of all new passenger car registrations.

Subsidies under the EV3 and EV3.5 schemes have been granted to 175,064 BEV passenger cars and 34,559 electric motorcycles, totaling more than THB 12 billion (USD 370 million).

The EV3 scheme currently includes 27 participating companies—16 passenger car and pickup truck manufacturers and 11 electric motorcycle producers. Ten companies, all passenger car manufacturers already in EV3, also participate in EV3.5.

Revisions to Excise Department subsidy procedures were also approved. For companies not seeking a compensatory production extension, at least 50 percent of the required local production must be completed before subsidy payments begin. Companies requesting extensions must submit production forecasts and provide bank guarantees of THB 20 million or THB 40 million (USD 610,000 or USD 1.22 million), depending on capital size. They are also allowed to use additional production facilities.

Participants may revise previously submitted applications and adjust compensatory production numbers. Companies may also opt to repay the excise tax differential—plus penalties—for previously imported vehicles, in order to exclude them from compensatory production obligations. [Board of Investment]

Thailand’s Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT)—a state agency responsible for developing and managing industrial zones nationwide—is in talks with South Korean authorities and private sector partners about establishing a dedicated industrial estate exclusively for South Korean businesses within the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a high-tech development zone spanning Chon Buri, Rayong, and Chachoengsao. The proposal reflects growing interest from South Korean firms and aligns with Thailand’s push to attract foreign direct investment into advanced sectors.

IEAT Governor Sumet Thangprasert confirmed that South Korean investors are a key target group. The proposed complex would complement IEAT’s 68 existing industrial estates in 16 provinces, including the flagship Map Ta Phut estate in Rayong. South Korean firms are especially active in industries that match Thailand’s 12 targeted S-curve sectors, such as next-generation vehicles, electronics, renewable energy, bioscience, and digital technologies.

In the first quarter of 2025, South Korean businesses submitted seven investment proposals worth THB 1.2 billion (approximately USD 33.6 million) to Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI). Between 2020 and 2024, South Korean investors submitted 141 projects valued at THB 63 billion (approximately USD 1.76 billion). Samsung alone has invested THB 31 billion (approximately USD 870 million) in Thai operations, primarily through its electronics manufacturing subsidiary.

South Korea is Thailand’s 13th-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling around USD 5 billion in 2024. The new estate is expected to deepen industrial collaboration and reinforce long-term strategic ties between the two countries. [Bangkok Post]

Thailand Post, the state-owned logistics agency, is expanding its parcel shipment services to China to strengthen both business-to-business and business-to-consumer delivery channels. Following a 3 percent increase in shipments last year, the agency aims to deepen economic ties with China by enhancing multimodal transport options—including road, rail, and air—and leveraging its domestic distribution network to serve as a regional logistics hub.

Common items sent from Thailand to China include documents, toys, garments, supplements, and amulets. The firm is also developing new land transport networks and offering integrated customs clearance services to lower shipping costs for clients. [Bangkok Post]

Thailand’s Finance Ministry recently raised its 2025 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 2.2 percent, up from 2.1 percent, based on assumptions of improved export performance, a manufacturing rebound, and resilient private consumption. [Bangkok Post 1] [Bangkok Post 2]

This revision was issued shortly before the United States confirmed a 19 percent reciprocal tariff on Thai exports—aligned with rates imposed on Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, but higher than Singapore’s. While this tariff level is consistent with the ministry’s baseline assumptions, there is reason be skeptical about the degree of confidence placed in a forecast made amid unresolved risks.

The revised growth projection assumes export expansion of 5.5 percent (up from 2.3 percent forecast in April), modest manufacturing growth driven by electronics and automotive production, and stable consumption supported by sustained value-added tax collection. However, downside risks are intensifying. The Bank of Thailand expects economic growth to slow to 2.3 percent in the third quarter following flat second-quarter performance, due to a slump in exports and tourism. Arrivals from Japan, South Korea, and India have declined, while long-haul travel has been affected by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. [Bangkok Post 3]

Thailand’s Manufacturing Production Index rose 0.58 percent year-on-year in June, helped by EV-related auto output and demand for electronics, but new business registrations declined 5.49 percent year-on-year in the first half. The Department of Business Development projects flat registration numbers for 2025, as firms delay decisions amid tariff-related uncertainty. In contrast, foreign investment has remained resilient, with 502 newly registered foreign-owned firms in the first half totaling THB 112 billion (USD 3.2 billion), led by Japan, the U.S., China, Singapore, and Hong Kong. [Bangkok Post 4]

Amid limited fiscal space and disinflation, pressure is mounting on the central bank to support the economy. The Bank of Thailand is widely expected to cut interest rates—currently at 1.75 percent—at least once during its three remaining meetings this year. Analysts anticipate further currency depreciation toward THB 33.70 per USD as monetary easing becomes one of the few tools available to cushion external shocks and sluggish domestic demand. [Bangkok Post 5]

Thai police have arrested 18 Chinese nationals involved in a call center fraud operation based in a luxury house in Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai. The raid, conducted on July 31 by cybercrime and tourist police under a court-issued warrant, uncovered a well-equipped operation with over 20 computers, more than 100 mobile phones, and numerous Chinese SIM cards used to target victims in China.

During the raid, several suspects attempted to flee, with eight of them leaping from the second floor of the residence—over eight meters high—resulting in injuries, including one case of a broken leg. Authorities said the house, valued at over THB 40 million (approximately USD 1.1 million), had been rented by a Chinese ringleader and operated continuously for around three months. The suspects reportedly received monthly salaries ranging from CNY 10,000 to 20,000 (approximately THB 50,000 to 100,000; USD 1,400 to 2,800).

Their fraudulent schemes targeted Chinese nationals through fake online product sales, airline ticket scams, impersonation of banks or law enforcement, and extortion. Authorities believe the operation may be linked to larger transnational cybercrime syndicates and are expanding investigations to identify the masterminds and trace broader criminal networks. [Bangkok Post]

The Criminal Court has sentenced a woman to four years in prison for defrauding the public through a cosmetic surgery scheme widely advertised as “Face Off.” The court found her guilty under the Criminal Code for public fraud, the Computer Crime Act for uploading false information, and the Consumer Protection Act for deceptive advertising.

The scheme, operated between August 2017 and August 2018, falsely claimed to offer facial surgeries at world-class hospitals with minimal scarring or swelling. These misleading promises led victims to pay hundreds of thousands of baht for procedures that resulted in disfigurement, persistent pain, and physical complications.

The court ruled that the offenses formed part of a single, ongoing scheme and imposed the maximum applicable sentence. The defendant is appealing the verdict and applying for bail. Authorities confirmed that this is not her first conviction in similar cosmetic fraud cases. [Bangkok Post]

泰国就业部近日推出全新的外籍劳工工作许可数字化处理系统，旨在实现服务现代化、减少官僚程序并提高效率。该举措于7月31日启动，是政府数字化转型政策的重要组成部分，同时符合泰国20年国家战略规划。

新平台支持全天候在线注册、申请提交、费用缴纳及实时进度查询。获批申请人可通过生物识别技术（如指纹和虹膜扫描）完成身份核验，在指定服务中心预约领取工作许可。

该系统将于9月1日全面启用，全国设立40个服务中心（曼谷7个，外府33个）并配备8个流动服务单元。私营机构将在政府严格监管下协助受理申请、通知就业部门及签发工作许可，确保流程透明并保障劳工权益。（来源：曼谷邮报）

Thailand’s Department of Employment has introduced a new digital system to process work permits for migrant workers, aimed at modernizing services, reducing bureaucracy, and increasing efficiency. The initiative, launched on July 31, is part of the government’s broader digital transformation policy and aligns with Thailand’s 20-Year National Strategy.

The new platform allows for 24/7 online registration, application submission, fee payment, and real-time status tracking. Approved applicants can book appointments and collect permits at designated service centers, with identity verification conducted using biometric data such as fingerprints and iris scans.

The system will begin full operations on September 1, with 40 service centers nationwide—seven in Bangkok and 33 in other provinces—supported by eight mobile units. The private sector will assist in accepting applications, notifying employment authorities, and issuing work permits, under strict government oversight to ensure transparency and labor rights protection. [Bangkok Post]

Thailand’s Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) rose by 0.58 percent year-on-year to 97.35 points in June 2025, driven largely by a 17 percent increase in car production. The surge followed strong order volumes at the Bangkok International Motor Show in April and was fueled by growing demand for hybrid and battery electric vehicles in both domestic and export markets.

Despite the year-on-year uptick, the MPI declined by 3.47 percent from May. According to the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE), this reflects fluctuating production levels amid broader economic pressures, including persistently strict lending criteria that continue to limit access to auto loans in the face of high household debt—now reduced slightly to 87.4 percent of GDP.

Additional contributors to June’s MPI performance included electronics and palm oil. Electronic and printed circuit board output rose by 6.18 percent year-on-year due to increased U.S. demand, while palm oil production grew by 9.84 percent on new orders from China, India, and Myanmar.

Thailand’s overall capacity utilization stood at 59.6 percent in June. Authorities are closely monitoring potential risks to the sector, including the impact of U.S. reciprocal tariffs, household debt burdens, and the influx of low-cost imports. [Bangkok Post]

Thai listed companies earned the highest recognition in the 2024 ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS), outperforming regional peers in both number of awards and average score. Thailand secured 74 awards in the ASEAN Asset Class category—more than any other country out of the 250 companies assessed—and achieved the region’s highest average score at 103.83 points. Six ASEAN countries were evaluated using updated 2023 criteria aligned with the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance.

Thai companies were recognized in all three ACGS award categories: 74 firms qualified for ASEAN Asset Class (scoring above 97.5 points), 16 were named among the ASEAN Top 50, and five companies (PTT, PTTEP, PTTGC, SCGP, and Thai Oil) were listed under Thailand’s Country Top 5.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) attributed this achievement to regulatory improvements, including revisions to the 56-1 One Report and the promotion of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting in line with global standards. The SEC intends to further align Thailand’s disclosure regulations with international benchmarks such as IFRS S1 and S2.

The Thai Institute of Directors also highlighted corporate progress in risk management, stakeholder engagement, and the adoption of global ESG reporting frameworks like the Global Reporting Initiative and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.

The ACGS, launched in 2012, assesses the top 100 listed companies by market capitalization in each of the six ASEAN member states on a biennial basis. [Bangkok Post]