BANGKOK — Thailand’s Printed Circuit Board or PCB industry continues to show signs of expansion. The government continues to promote investment in the PCB industry and encourage Thai manufacturers to partner with global supply chains.
Negotiations are underway with other leading companies to set up manufacturing facilities in Thailand and expand investment. Staggered incentives are being offered for investment in complex technologies.
In July 2024, PCB exports amounted to 120.22 million dollars, an increase of 9.16 percent compared to the same period last year. Imports amounted to 285.24 million US dollars, an increase of 98.88 percent compared to the previous year. The OIE estimates that the PCB industry will see gradual export growth in 2024.
Most PCB industry investment in Thailand comes from overseas or joint ventures, especially from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Foreign shareholders usually supervise the production and management to comply with the joint venture agreements.
The Office of Industrial Economics (OIE), Ministry of Industry, announced that the number of projects and the investment value of projects that received investment support in the PCB product group from 2018 to 2023 has been continuously increasing.
From 6 to 45 Projects
In 2018, there were 6 projects worth 1.71 billion baht. In 2019, there were 10 projects worth 10.97 billion baht. In 2020, 15 projects with a total investment of 7.62 billion baht were approved.
In 2021, there were 21 projects worth 15.24 billion baht and in 2022 there were 20 projects worth 21.77 billion baht. In 2023, the number of projects increased to 45 with an investment value of 92.17 billion baht, an increase of 323.32 percent.
This has led to a corresponding increase in the employment of workers in Thailand. In 2018, 950 workers were employed, rising to 1,786 in 2019, 2,368 in 2020, 4,634 in 2021, 9,043 in 2022 and 16,234 in 2023.
It is noteworthy that 2023 saw the largest increase in investment support for PCB companies, with most applications for investment support coming from the Board of Investment (BOI). This is in line with the goal of positioning Thailand as a leading manufacturing hub for electronic PCBs in the global market.
In addition, geopolitical factors and trade wars have made Thailand an attractive country for investment, resulting in Thailand being ASEAN’s main PCB manufacturing base.
Booming PCB Industry
Data from the BOI and the Department of Industrial Works shows that there are 163 PCB factories in Thailand (as of July 2024). These include 83 large factories, 16 medium-sized factories and 64 small factories.
Based on the complexity of production technology, PCBs can be divided into five types: single-sided PCBs, double-sided PCBs, multilayer PCBs, flexible PCBs and rigid-flex PCBs.
In terms of production technology, most of the companies that received investment support between 2023 and 2024 are manufacturers of multilayer printed circuit boards, namely around 16 companies (30 percent). Flexible PCB manufacturers have started to invest in Thailand in 2024 with four companies and one company is investing in rigid-flex PCBs.
According to the Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC), the PCB industry is highly volatile due to rapid technological advancements. The demand for flexible and rigid-flex PCBs is expected to increase in the future.
“Based on various policies, it is expected to attract investment from 10 more major global PCB manufacturers, creating a PCB cluster and achieving an initial investment surge of no less than 100 billion baht. This is an opportunity for Thailand to become a leading center of electronics manufacturing in the future,” stated the IPC.
Workers Are Increasingly Needed
Meanwhile, Mr. Phanavee Phokaiyudom, President of Mahanakorn University of Technology (MUT), announced that more than 50 PCB companies have already invested in Thailand, with a total investment of about 150 billion baht. This is one of the most important industrial investments in Thailand.
These companies have discussed with MUT that the industry will need more than 70,000 workers in the next two years, including 50,000 technical workers and 20,000 engineers.
Therefore, MUT is working with the Thailand Printed Circuit Association (THPCA) and the Microelectronics Technology Center (TMEC) to train these workers through short-term programs that focus on upskilling and reskilling
This program is not limited to graduates of electronics or electrical engineering majors, but graduates of related majors such as industrial engineering or mechanical engineering can also enroll in MUT’s short-term programs.
Matichon Forum for PCB
For those interested in this topic, Matichon Group, a leading Thai media company, in collaboration with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (HESRI), is organizing a seminar titled “Overcoming Crisis, Shaping PCB: A Hundred Billion Baht Economy” on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, from 09:00 to 13:00 at the Infinity Room, Pullman Hotel, Ratchathewi, Bangkok.
The seminar schedule begins with a special lecture by Mr. Thakorn Tanthasit, Chief Advisor to the HESRI Committee, followed by Professor Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
Next, the HESRI Committee will present a study report by Dr. Wayo Assawarungruang, Chairman of the HESRI Committee.
The seminar includes two panel discussions:
The first panel features speakers:
- Mr. Akradej Wongpitakroj, Chairman of the House Committee on Industry
- Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI)
- Mr. Trairat Viriyasirisakul, Deputy Secretary-General, Acting Secretary-General of NBTC
- Asst. Prof. Dr. Lertsak Lekawat, Acting Assistant Dean of the College of Advanced Manufacturing Innovation, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
The second panel includes:
- Mr. Korkij Danchaivichit, Deputy Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee
- Mr. Pongchai Amatanont, CEO of Forth Corporation Public Company Limited
- Mr. Suroj Lamsam, President of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand
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