The Thai cabinet has approved the establishment of six special economic promotion zones in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in eastern Thailand, with the aim of attracting investments of over 300 billion baht in future industries, such as modern automotive production, smart electronics, logistics, aviation, agriculture and biological technology.
The cabinet realises the need to set up more economic promotion zones because the existing EEC, covering 2,534 hectares, will be fully utilised for the next five years only.
The first five zones will cover over 1,100 hectares, but only about 816 hectares will accommodate the targeted industries, with estimated investments totalling over 280 billion baht over 10 years, starting this year. They are:
- Rojana Laem Chabang industrial estate in Chon Buri, covering 111.68 hectares , to accommodate modern automotive production, smart electronics, aviation and logistics.
- Rojana Nong Yai industrial estate in Chon Buri, covering 240.16 hectares, also to accommodate modern automotive production, smart electronics, aviation and logistics.
- Asia Clean industrial estate in Chon Buri, covering 156.48 hectares, to accommodate modern automotive production, smart electronics, agriculture and biological technology.
- Egco Rayong industrial estate in Rayong province, covering 67.36 hectares, to accommodate modern automotive production, robotics, aviation, logistics and digital industries.
- WHA industrial estate in Rayong, covering 239.68 hectares, to accommodate modern automotive production, robotics and logistics.
- The Ban Chang Digital Innovation and Advanced Technology Centre in Rayong, covering 83.04 hectares. With an estimated investment of 20 billion baht, the centre aims to develop researches in digital industry and high technology-related business and innovations and environment-friendly activities and also to develop Thailand’s competitiveness in digital industry.
The cabinet also decided to increase space for the centre of medical innovations of Thammasat University’s Pattaya campus.
