Business activities eligible for BOI promotion in Thailand.

Written by Acclime Thailand,

updated 2 October 2025.

Business activities eligible for BOI promotion in Thailand

Contents

BOI investment promotion policies
Activities eligible for investment promotion

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Contents

BOI investment promotion policies
Activities eligible for investment promotion

Thailand’s government is actively driving the decentralisation of the nation’s industrial base to create a more balanced economy. To achieve this, it has been rolling out a series of attractive incentives targeted explicitly towards specific industries, hoping to attract both foreign and domestic investors.

Key takeaways

Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) promotes a defined set of business activities to attract investment that supports the country’s economic development objectives.
Eligible activities are grouped into broad sectors such as agriculture and agricultural products, mining and metals, light industry, electronics and electric appliances, chemicals, paper and plastics, services and public utilities and technology and innovation development.
Within these sectors, eligible activities range from modern food processing and bio-products to advanced manufacturing, digital services, research and development and smart system development projects.
Eligibility for promotion is based on whether a project’s core activities align with the BOI’s list and criteria, which can include technology use, value-added processes and contributions to priority industries.

This article explores the specific sectors being promoted as part of this initiative, highlighting the opportunities for businesses looking to expand or establish a presence in Thailand.

BOI investment promotion policies

The BOI (Office of Board of Investment) is a Thai government agency that promotes valuable investments in Thailand and overseas Thailand. It does so by providing tax and non-tax incentives for eligible businesses.

Investment promotion policies under the BOI are to:

Promote investment that helps enhance national competitiveness.
Promote activities that are environment-friendly.
Promote clusters to create investment concentration in accordance with regional potential and to strengthen value chains.
Promote investment in border provinces in Southern Thailand.
Promote special economic zones.
Promote Thai overseas investment to enhance the competitiveness of Thai businesses in the global economy.

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Activities eligible for investment promotion

The following activities are eligible for BOI promotion in Thailand:

1. Agriculture and agricultural products	Manufacture of biological fertilisers, organic fertilisers, nano-coated organo-chemical fertilisers and bio-pesticides Plant or animal breeding (only those that are not eligible for biotechnology activity) Crop dying and silo facilities Animal propagation or animal husbandry Slaughtering Deep sea fishery Grading, and storage Manufacture of modified starch or starch made from plants that have special properties Manufacture of oil or fat from plants or animals Manufacture of natural extracts or products from natural extracts Manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients Tanneries or leather finishing Manufacture of natural rubber products Manufacture of fuel from agricultural scrap or waste Manufacture of preservation of food, beverages, food additives or food ingredients using modern technology Manufacture of medical food Cold storage, or cold storage and cold storage transportation Trading centre for agricultural goods Manufacture of animal feed production and animal food ingredients
2. Mining, ceramics and basic metals	Prospecting of minerals Potash mining and/or dressing Manufacture of advanced or nano materials or products produced from advanced or nano materials Manufacture of glass or ceramics products Manufacture of fire-resistant materials or heat insulation (except aerated brick and lightweight brick) Manufacture of gypsum board or gypsum products and cements Manufacture of up-stream steel, eg pig iron, sponge iron, Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) and Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) Manufacture of intermediate steel, eg slab, billet and bloom Manufacture of down-stream steel Manufacture of steel pipes or stainless-steel pipes Manufacture of metal powder (except metal powder for shot blasting) Manufacture of ferro-alloy Manufacture of cast iron Rolling, drawing, casting of non-ferrous metals Manufacture of construction materials and pre-stressed concrete for public utilities
3. Light industry	Manufacture of non-woven fabric or hygienic products made of non-woven fabric Manufacture of bags or shoes or products made of leather or artificial leather Manufacture of sports equipment or parts Manufacture of musical instrument Manufacture of furniture or parts Manufacture of toys Manufacture of gems and jewellery or parts including raw material and prototype Manufacture of lenses that are not classified as medical devices Manufacture of medical devices or parts
4. Metal products or metal products including metal parts	Manufacture of metal products including metal parts Surface treatment or anodized surface treatment (except coating or colouring treatment for decoration purpose) Heat treatment Manufacture of multi-purpose engines and equipment Manufacture of machinery, equipment and parts Manufacture of general automobile Manufacture of automobile engines Manufacture of vehicle parts Building or repair of ships Manufacture and/or repair of rolling stocks, parts or equipment for rail system Manufacture or repair of aircraft or aerospace devices and equipment Manufacture of motorcycles (except less than 248 cc engine displacement) Manufacture of fuel cells or parts Manufacture of science equipment Manufacture and/or repair of vehicles and weapon systems for national defence Manufacture and/or repair of weapons and exercise-facilitating equipment for national defence and parts Manufacture and/or repair of combat facilitating equipment such as bullet-proof and flak-proof vests, armours or bullet-proof and flak-proof shields
5. Electronic industry and electric appliances	Manufacture of electronic products, devices and parts Manufacture of parts and/or equipment used for electrical products Manufacture of electronic products Manufacture of parts and/or equipment used for electronic products Digital services
6. Chemicals, paper and plastics	Oil refinery Manufacture of petrochemicals Manufacture of specialty polymers or specialty chemicals including related products under the same project Manufacture of plastic products for industrial goods Manufacture of plastic packages with special properties Manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients Manufacture of chemical fundamental fertilisers Production of printed matter Manufacture of plastic products for consumer goods
7. Service and public utilities	Public utilities and basic services Mass transit systems and transportation of bulk goods Logistics service centres Real estate development for industrial use Product sterilisation services Recycling and reuse of unwanted materials Waste treatment or disposal Thai motion picture production Motion picture support services Tourism promotion services Activities to support tourism Medical services Smart city area development business Smart city system development business Distribution centre with smart system International Business Centre Housing projects for low-income earners
8. Technology and innovation development	Targeted core technology development for materials industry

The following activities are knowledge-based activities focusing on R&D and design to enhance the country’s competitiveness that will be granted an eight-year corporate income tax exemption without being subject to an exemption cap:

Economic forest plantation (except for Eucalyptus)
Creative product design and development centre
Manufacture of aircraft or aircraft parts, such as airframe, critical parts, appliance equipment or other components
Manufacture and/or repair of unmanned systems for national defence and parts used in the manufacture and/or repair
Electronics design
Software
Production of electricity or electricity and steam from garbage or refuse-derived fuel
Energy Service Company (ESCO)
Food Innovation Industrial Zone
Cloud service
Research and development
- Bio and medical industries
- Advanced manufacturing industries
- Basic and supporting industries
- High-value services
- Creative and digital industries
Biotechnology
Engineering design
Scientific laboratories
Calibration services
Human resources development

Conclusion

BOI incentives in Thailand include both tax and non-tax benefits, with eligibility depending on the nature of the business activity and the specific project scope. Understanding whether a project qualifies requires careful review of the BOI’s promoted activities and applicable conditions. For a complete and up to date list of eligible businesses, companies should refer to the BOI’s official publications and guidance.

How Acclime can help with BOI promotion in Thailand

Acclime Thailand offers complete support in BOI application management and corporate structuring. From identifying eligible business categories to coordinating with the Board of Investment, our team of experts can assist with everything from preparing the project proposal to facilitating the issuance of the promotion certificate.

By partnering with us, foreign investors can confidently achieve maximum tax and non-tax benefits for their ventures. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your specific investment strategy and ongoing regulatory compliance needs.

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