September 28, 2026 / SemiMedia / — Thailand has approved its first national strategy for the semiconductor and advanced electronics industry, establishing a long-term framework to build domestic capabilities spanning chip research and design, front-end wafer manufacturing, conventional and advanced packaging and testing, and high-value electronics applications. The plan targets about $80 billion in cumulative investment and approximately $150 billion in annual industry revenue by 2050, while creating more than 230,000 jobs.

The roadmap will be implemented in three phases. By 2030, Thailand plans to strengthen its existing semiconductor assembly and testing base, expand advanced packaging capabilities and lay the groundwork for front-end wafer production. By 2040, the country aims to attract more anchor investors in chip design, wafer fabrication and advanced manufacturing, followed by a more complete domestic semiconductor supply chain by 2050.

Thailand has identified three priority technology platforms. Photonics will target AI infrastructure, data centers and high-speed communications; power semiconductors will focus on electric vehicles, energy storage and power grids; and sensors will build on the country's existing MEMS capabilities for connected devices, automation, automotive, smart devices and medical applications.

The strategy will be supported through tax incentives, grants and low-interest financing, workforce development, research and chip-design infrastructure, investment-ready industrial sites, reliable water and electricity supply, clean energy and regulatory reforms. Thailand also plans to develop 86,600 semiconductor and advanced electronics workers by 2030, including 84,900 highly skilled personnel and about 1,700 advanced researchers.

The plan builds on an existing wave of electronics investment. From 2023 through the first half of 2026, Thailand's Board of Investment received applications for 879 semiconductor and advanced electronics projects worth about THB909 billion, or approximately $27.2 billion. These projects include semiconductor manufacturing, PCBs, hard disk drives, AI servers, networking and power-management equipment, and automotive electronics.

Infineon is among the companies expanding local semiconductor production. The company will formally open its new backend manufacturing site in Samut Prakan on October 1. The facility will focus on power modules, discrete devices and wafer testing and is designed to scale as demand grows. Infineon is also expanding local R&D and workforce cooperation with Thai institutions.

Thailand's semiconductor ecosystem also includes companies such as Analog Devices, Foxsemicon Integrated Technology, Zhen Ding Technology, Terahop and Malaysian Pacific Industries, extending the country's manufacturing base into analog and mixed-signal chips, semiconductor equipment, PCBs, optical communications and semiconductor packaging and testing.