Thailand’s Japan Mission Targets Chips, Cars and Grid Equipment

By Rebecca Stone

BOI figures show Japanese investors submitted 302 applications worth more than THB113.7 billion in 2025, more than double the proposed value filed in 2024.

Japanese companies added 192 applications worth more than THB45.4 billion during the first nine months of 2026. Digital industries, agriculture and food, electronics and automotive manufacturing drew most of the applications.

Those totals represent applications seeking investment promotion, not commissioned fabs, installed wafer capacity or recognized revenue; the announcement names no process node, wafer size or semiconductor project. The distinction matters. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas will take that investment pipeline to Japan from November 18–20, 2026, leading a government-and-business delegation focused on semiconductors, automotive manufacturing and other advanced industries.

Who is going to Japan?

BOI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said the delegation will include the industry minister, the Finance Ministry’s permanent secretary, the Customs Department’s director-general and representatives of the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB).

Three business leaders will join Ekniti: the heads of the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai Bankers’ Association. More than 40 Thai businesspeople will make the trip.

The visit marks the first time the leaders of all three JSCCIB member organizations have joined one delegation for meetings with Japanese government agencies and businesses.

Narit described Japan as one of Thailand’s most important economic partners, contributing to the country’s industrial development, technological capabilities and supply chains for more than 50 years. The mission aims to reassure Japanese investors about Thailand’s long-term manufacturing role while encouraging expansion into higher-technology activities and new partnerships for Thai companies.

Which automakers sit at the table?

The delegation will meet six Japanese manufacturers that produce vehicles in Thailand:

• Toyota
• Honda
• Isuzu
• Mitsubishi
• Mazda
• Nissan

Thai officials will discuss government support for the automotive industry, including changes to the vehicle tax structure intended to ensure fair competition and encourage domestic production. They will also outline plans to strengthen local automotive-parts manufacturers and support the transition toward new vehicle technologies.

The manufacturers will have an opportunity to discuss their business strategies, future investment plans and recommendations for developing Thailand’s automotive sector. Narit said the discussions would help maintain confidence in Thailand as a long-term manufacturing and investment base.

What does the chip strategy target?

The BOI will organize a Thailand–Japan Semiconductor Strategic Partnership meeting that brings Thai officials together with executives from leading Japanese semiconductor companies.

Thailand will present its recently announced National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Strategy, whose stated aim is to develop domestic capabilities in higher-technology industries. Participants will explore how Japan’s chip-manufacturing expertise can connect with investment opportunities under Thailand’s industrial strategy.

Technology development, workforce training and business-to-business cooperation will shape the discussion. The BOI also intends to collect recommendations from Japanese industry leaders to help determine future investment and technology partnerships.

How broad is the business dialogue?

The central event, the Thailand–Japan Investment and Business Dialogue 2026, will bring the BOI together with Keidanren, also known as the Japan Business Federation. Business leaders and entrepreneurs from both countries will exchange views on trade and investment trends and identify opportunities for cooperation.

Three sectors will receive particular attention:

• Electric and other electrified vehicles, including xEVs and their components
• Supply chains serving data centres and advanced electronics
• Electricity-grid modernization, including transmission and distribution equipment

The delegation will also meet Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry and the chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Their discussions will focus on investment promotion, Thailand’s readiness to accommodate new projects and opportunities to upgrade Japanese manufacturers’ operations in the country.

A separate meeting with Japan’s finance minister will examine longer-term economic and investment cooperation.

Energy security will enter the agenda through Japan’s Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia, or POWERR Asia. The initiative seeks stronger energy security and supply-chain resilience among Asian partners. Thailand hopes to examine how the framework can support further Japanese investment and the country’s transition toward cleaner energy.

Narit tied the outreach to the government’s investment message: “This joint government-private sector roadshow sends a strong signal to Japanese investors, demonstrating the government’s sincerity and determination to strengthen our economic partnership with Japan.” He added: “Thailand was ready to listen to, support and grow alongside Japanese investors.”

JSCCIB will help convert policy-level cooperation into business partnerships spanning modern industry, technology development, workforce capabilities and future supply chains. The commercial test comes in November: whether industry recommendations produce named projects, committed capital and disclosed production capacity. Until the BOI identifies those projects, the application totals remain investment targets, not operating semiconductor or automotive capacity.