PM Anutin signs semiconductor board order for Made-in-Thailand chips
The order creates a national body to steer policy, master plans and targets for Thailand’s semiconductor and advanced electronics sector.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has signed an order establishing the National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Committee.
- The committee's goal is to implement a national strategy to create "Made-in-Thailand chips" and position the country as a semiconductor hub within ASEAN.
- Chaired by the Prime Minister, the board includes key government ministers and private industry leaders to integrate public and private sector efforts.
- The committee is responsible for setting policy, approving projects, and monitoring progress to strengthen the electronics supply chain and attract investment.
A news report from Government House said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had recently signed a prime ministerial order appointing the National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Committee.
The order aligns with the government’s policy, as stated to Parliament, to restructure the Thai economy so it can grow and compete sustainably, strengthen the country’s growth potential and move beyond the middle-income trap by building competitiveness in existing industries while creating new key economic engines such as digital, AI, robotics, semiconductors, high-value processed food, clean energy, biotechnology, modern automotive, medical and healthcare sectors.
Many future industries use semiconductors as important devices and components, making it necessary to attract investment and lay down a sustained and serious strategy to drive the country’s semiconductor industry.
Earlier, Thailand prepared a target strategy to become ASEAN’s semiconductor and advanced electronics industry hub and to make ‘Made-in-Thailand chips’ a reality by 2050, focusing on attracting THB2.5 trillion in investment and developing more than 230,000 highly skilled personnel.
To help make the target a reality, the Prime Minister ordered the establishment of the National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Committee.
The policy will strengthen supply chains for the country’s target industries, support the development of personnel and investment-enabling factors, and lead to overall industrial restructuring and the building of the country’s capacity to become a key semiconductor and advanced electronics production base in the ASEAN region in the future.
To ensure the development of the semiconductor and advanced electronics industry in Thailand is driven efficiently, with integrated work between the public and private sectors and concrete results, by virtue of Section 11(6) of the State Administration Act 1991, the Prime Minister ordered the appointment of the National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Committee.
The committee comprises the Prime Minister as chair and Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister, as vice-chair.
Members include the ministers of foreign affairs, higher education, science, research and innovation (MHESI); digital economy and society; energy; and industry.
Other members include the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Secretary-General of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the Secretary-General of the Office of the Vocational Education Commission, the Director of the Thai Microelectronics Centre, the Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, the President of the Thai Semiconductor Industry Trade Association and the President of the Electronics and Computer Employers Association.
Benjarong Suwankiri and Anuchit Anuchitanukul are members, while Narit Therdsteerasukdi, secretary-general of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), is a member and secretary.
The committee’s powers and duties include:
- Setting policy direction, master plans and targets for the development of the semiconductor and advanced electronics industry to strengthen the electronics industry and related industries in Thailand.
- Considering plans and projects of government agencies related to the development of the semiconductor and advanced electronics industry for submission to the Cabinet for approval.
- Integrating, monitoring and evaluating work to drive the development of the semiconductor and advanced electronics industry in line with specified plans and frameworks, as well as giving relevant recommendations, so the policy is put into practical and concrete effect, and reporting the results to the Cabinet.
- Appointing subcommittees or working groups to support the work as necessary and appropriate.
- Carrying out other work as assigned by the Prime Minister or the Cabinet.
The disbursement of meeting allowances and other expenses related to management necessary for the work of subcommittees and working groups appointed under the order shall comply with the Royal Decree on Meeting Allowances for Committees 2004 or relevant government regulations, as applicable, and be paid from the budget of the parent agency of the secretary of each subcommittee.
