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Cabinet Approves $80 Billion Chip Strategy
The national semiconductor board has approved its first chip strategy, and it has a bold target of $80 billion in cumulative investment, $150 billion in annual revenue and 230,000 jobs by 2050. The plan will begin with assembly and packaging, then move to chip design and wafer fabrication, and eventually foresees a move into a domestic supply chain centered on photonics, power semiconductors and sensors. The Board of Investment says it already has $27.2 billion worth of applications for 879 projects. Infineon, for example, is opening its first local factory in Samut Prakan on October 1. Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas is selling investors on a long runway. Oddly (might be nothing), the board pulled its announcement shortly after publication and then reposted it again with the same headline targets.
Read more: MarketScreener (tax incentives), Thailand Business News (workforce and Infineon)
Anutin Unwinds the Cannabis Law He Wrote
In a move that’s been anticipated for some time, cabinet has approved a bill that limits cannabis to medical use, with three-year licenses and a minimum age of 20 for a market that raked in $865 million during its first year of decriminalization. Shops already operating will be able to keep their licenses through 2028 but will then need to qualify as medical businesses, so that’s 10,000+ registered shops and grow sites that are now on notice. The Khao San Road business association expects more than half of local cannabis operators to close, as backpacker traffic is also sagging. The bill will next head to the House. This latest turn in the cannabis story is Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dismantling the policy he himself introduced as health minister in 2022.
Read more: Bangkok Post (Khao San), Yahoo News (licensing)
Cabinet Extends Relief, Weighs Solar Subsidies
Cabinet has approved a 43 billion baht relief package to extend the Thais Help Thais Plus co-payment deal through November 30 and also increasing the October welfare card payments to 1,000 baht. Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas says the extension could add 0.1 to 0.2 percent to growth. The government is using leftover emergency loan money. Opposition MP Sirikanya Tansakun argues that a separate 200 billion baht energy transition fund should be used to help farmers, fishers and transport workers. Officials are also considering a 50,000 baht household solar subsidy, which would initially be applied to up to a million homes. The prospect is already increasing demand as solar cell imports were up almost 90 percent through July to about $427 million; China supplied almost all of them.
Read more: Asian News Network (relief package), Thai Enquirer (funding debate), TV BRICS (solar plan)
DSI Sends 40k-Page Forex Case to Prosecutors
The Department of Special Investigation has sent prosecutors a dossier of 40,348 pages and naming 34 suspects, including People's Party MP Pawoot Pongvitayapanu and actor Rattapoom "Film" Tokongsup, in an (alleged) foreign exchange scam and money laundering case. Both men turned themselves in voluntarily, and Pawoot's party says it will not do anything to protect him with parliamentary immunity. The DSI is questioning more than 28 million baht in income that it has connected to QRS Global, a company that’s accused of swindling victims. Pawoot denies the charges and says the money was the proceeds of “gold trading.” Supporters of Pawoot claim that the DSI is targeting him because he criticized the government's 1.6 billion baht TH-AI Passport project.
Read more: Bangkok Post
Thammanat's Casio Signals a Coalition Swap
Kla Tham's 58 MPs broke with the opposition whip to support the 2027 Budget Bill, all but announcing the coalition switch their leader, Thammanat Prompao, has been courting since August. Then came the timepiece switcharoo. Thammanat has been wearing a 1,900 baht Casio of the kind that Anutin gaves to Bhumjaithai ministers and Interior Ministry officials, furnished with the prime minister's name engraved in Thai and English, but was seen without it. Asked about coalition scuttlebutt in New York, Anutin played coy and said, "Calm down. We're in America, it's far away, and the signal doesn't reach here."
Read more: Thai Enquirer
Canada’s Valeura Finds Oil Near Manora Platform
Valeura Energy says its Manora-9 well and sidetracks found 334 feet of net oil pay in two fault blocks at the Suraphi prospect in the Gulf of Thailand. The Calgary-based operator believes the discovery could support a satellite platform connected to its Manora A facility and make a nearby third block AND the stranded Malida field easier to develop. Valeura is also funding a $25.6 million 3D seismic survey and part of PTTEP's historical expenses to buy its way into a 40 percent stake in two other blocks. The activity fits Bangkok's plan to open its 26th Andaman Sea petroleum bidding round before the end of the year, but a deadline for the round hasn’t been set yet.
Read more: Bangkok Post (Andaman bidding), Offshore (Suraphi discovery)
Maritime Talks Stall in Singapore
Three days of closed-door conciliation in Singapore resulted in statements so frosty that the two sides barely seemed to be sharing a room. Cambodia's Prak Sokhonn pitched trust-building, either by way of a proposed single maritime boundary treaty or joint development of Gulf resources. Thailand's Sihasak Phuangketkeow insisted on settling the boundary disputes first and rehashed his team’s grievances, including a leaked leaders' call, landmines that he said maimed Thai soldiers and rocket strikes that killed civilians. Cambodia once again called for 20,000 displaced villagers to be allowed to return home. Doesn’t look like this is going to resolve itself any time soon and no next-date was set for a follow-up meeting.
Read more: Prachatai English
Thai Travelers Pick China, Skip Seoul
Outbound travel was a record 13.06 million trips in 2025, about 11 percent more than 2024, and spending reached 559 billion baht. China was able to pull in nearly a quarter of all Thai trips abroad as visa-free entry, rail links to Kunming, snow towns and a friendly exchange rate all helped to make it an easy choice. Travelers to China spent roughly a quarter less per trip there than they did in Japan, which still collected more money per visitor from longer, pricier stays. South Korea was relegated to 13th place as arrivals fell about 14 percent to 328,000. South Korea has seen a spate of bad press from Thai visitors claiming mistreatment by Korean border officials.
Read more: Nation Thailand
Film Crews Spend $200 Million
Foreign productions were responsible for spending 6.52 billion baht (~$200 million), on 383 shoots between January and August. US productions were at the forefront of the spending, followed by those from the UK. Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Chonburi, Samut Prakan and Phuket drew the most cameras. Tourism officials continue to work on courting more studios with a cash rebate of up to 30 percent -it’s been a focus of the government for some time now and seems to be bearing fruit.
Read more: IMDb (spending), Business Insider (studio campaign)
That's all for this week, thanks for reading. Your voice matters to us. Feel we're missing something? Have additional sources to suggest? Don't hold back- hit reply and tell us what you think.
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