WITH cross-border economic cooperation becoming increasingly important in strengthening regional ties, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Penang organised a seminar to highlight new investment opportunities in Thailand for investors from Northern Malaysia.
Titled “Board the Train of Wealth: New Opportunities for Northern Malaysian Investment in Thailand”, the seminar was held at the function room of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman today.
The special guest speaker, Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) senior investment promotion officer Patarakrit Vichitbhat, briefed local business leaders on the latest investment trends in Thailand and the BOI incentives available for foreign investors.
“The title of today’s event, ‘Board the Train of Wealth’, is highly symbolic. It reflects not only the physical connectivity between Thailand and Malaysia, but also the rapid momentum of economic integration in our region and the awareness to seize new investment opportunities to accelerate wealth creation,” said Thai Consul-General in Penang Psusist Wongsurawat in his welcoming speech.
“Given our geographical proximity and strategic location, Thailand and Northern Malaysia, including Penang, are considered neighbours and are connected through seamless logistics infrastructure, which unlocks the potential for cross-border investment and facilitates the global distribution of goods.
“We also want to gather feedback on how we can better assist potential investors.”
During the briefing, Patarakrit, who studied at the University of Central Oklahoma, shared insights into Thailand’s current economic and investment landscape, as well as the policies and privileges available to investors, particularly in targeted industries.
He covered a wide range of topics, including the role of BOI, investment applications, tax and non-tax incentives, Special Economic Development Zones, BOI industrial linkage services, long-term resident visas, targeted industries such as electric vehicles (EVs), clean energy, semiconductors and advanced electronics, AI and digital technology and the International Business Center, as well as the BOI’s Thailand Investment and Expat Services Centre located in One Bangkok.
Towards the end of the seminar, participants actively engaged in a question-and-answer session, raising queries on legal matters, logistics, wages and educational opportunities, which Patarakrit addressed to the best of his ability.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Sarbeyshwaran Rajalingam