In Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, a factory's production line is running at full speed. Workers carefully assemble fiber optic components that are thinner than a human hair, and these inconspicuous parts are about to be sent to various parts of the world, becoming key blood vessels supporting the efficient operation of artificial intelligence brains. Few people have noticed that a future industrial transformation is quietly taking place on the land of Thailand.

Billions of funds poured in

Over the past five years, the desks of the Board of Investment (BOI) in Thailand have been filled with application documents. Data shows that from 2021 to June this year, a total of 79 photonics industry projects have submitted investment applications, with a total amount of 82.7 billion Thai baht. This investment boom is not accidental, but aimed at the huge demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance computing. Photon technology, with its ultra high speed advantage in data transmission, has become the core pillar of modern digital infrastructure. Nowadays, a complete industrial chain from fiber optic cables to optical communication system equipment has begun to take shape in Thailand.

The supply chain behind giants

Behind this industrial chain, there are several internationally renowned enterprises. Although they do not often appear in the eyes of consumers, they are indispensable partners for global technology giants. Some companies specialize in supplying optical components and transceivers to companies such as NVIDIA, Cisco, and Amazon Web Services. With the surge in order volume, these companies have created over 20000 high skilled jobs locally, making Thailand not only a global data hub but also a gathering place for high-end manufacturing talent. This is not only an investment in hardware, but also a long-term layout for future talent reserves.

Jumping out of the Eastern Economic Corridor

It is worth noting that this industrial revolution was not entirely concentrated in the traditional Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Statistics show that about 60% of photon industry projects choose to settle in areas outside of EEC, such as Dacheng Prefecture, Baton Thani Prefecture, Sarawak Prefecture, and Beilan Prefecture. This decentralized layout effectively promotes the balanced development of regional economy. In order to consolidate this advantage, BOI plans to collaborate with higher education and research departments to continuously strengthen the training of professional talents, with the goal of building Thailand into a regional manufacturing hub for artificial intelligence, data centers, and semiconductors.Editor/Yang Meiling