The Board of Investment (BoI) is assisting the government in developing the semiconductor sector by providing investment incentives to UNIQUE Integrated Technology, which plans to invest 10.5 billion baht to establish factories for the production and export of machinery parts and equipment for the semiconductor industry.
UNIQUE Integrated Technology is a subsidiary of Foxsemicon Integrated Technology Inc, part of the Taipei-based Hon Hai Group, globally recognized as Foxconn.
“This investment is significant as it comes from a subsidiary of Foxconn, a key player in the global semiconductor wafer fabrication industry,” stated Narit Therdsteerasukdi, BoI Secretary-General.
Semiconductor wafer fabrication transforms silicon wafers into integrated circuits extensively used in electronic devices, including smartphones.
“The timing of this investment aligns perfectly with our current efforts in drafting Thailand’s National Semiconductor Strategy,” Mr. Narit added.
Last week, the newly formed National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Committee, also known as the Semiconductor Board, approved a framework aimed at developing a skilled workforce to prepare for an expected influx of foreign direct investment in the sector, potentially bringing in at least 500 billion baht by 2029.
UNIQUE Integrated Technology’s production facilities will be situated in the Amata City Chon Buri Industrial Estate and Amata City Rayong Industrial Estate in Chon Buri and Rayong provinces, respectively. These areas, along with Chachoengsao, are part of the Eastern Economic Corridor, envisioned as Thailand’s hub for high-tech industries.
The company intends to manufacture shields, chambers, high-purity valves, and sub-assembly modules, which are critical components in semiconductor machinery production (wafer fabrication).
UNIQUE aims to create over 1,400 jobs for Thai workers and will procure more than 25% of its raw materials locally. The expected annual export value of its products is anticipated to exceed 6 billion baht.
According to the BoI, investment promotion applications during the first nine months of 2024 increased by 42% year-on-year to a total of 723 billion baht, marking the highest level since 2015.
These investments encompass projects in electrical appliances and electronics (E&E), as well as data center development initiatives. In this timeframe, the E&E sector led with 291 projects, totaling 183 billion baht.
