Push by Taiwanese circuit board manufacturers energises Thai electronics sector

[BANGKOK] A wave of Taiwanese investments in Thailand’s electronics sector over the past two to three years, fuelled by US-China tensions, has strengthened the country’s printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing hub – a critical player in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles and a key driver in its booming electronics industry.

Taiwanese investors ranked fourth in applications for tax privileges at Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) in 2024, submitting 126 projects worth 50 billion baht (S$2 billion), most of which were in PCB production.

In fact, the electronics and electrical appliances sector saw the second-largest influx of investment at the BOI last year, after the digital sector, with 407 projects worth 231.7 billion baht. Among them, 83 were focused on PCB manufacturing, valued at 86.4 billion baht.