Thailand expects exports to reach a record high this year as AI drives a surge in demand for electronics.

AI infrastructure investment boom is reshaping Thailand’s export landscape. Thai officials expect that **this year’s total export value will reach a historic record, with surging demand for electronics as the main driving force, propelling Thailand’s stock market to rank as the best-performing market in Southeast Asia.** According to Bloomberg’s Thursday report, Nantapong Chiralerspong, Director-General of the Department of Trade Policy and Strategy, said on Tuesday that this year’s total export value is expected to reach USD 366.8 billion, up 8% from 2025. Electronics currently account for about one-third of Thailand’s total exports. As global tech companies continue to ramp up investment in AI infrastructure, exports of electronics are expected to lead overall growth. This optimistic outlook is also reflected in the capital markets. The AI boom has pushed Thai tech stocks sharply higher, making Thailand’s benchmark stock index the best-performing major stock index in Southeast Asia this year. Export growth has slowed, officials attribute it to weakness in agricultural products Despite the optimistic outlook for the full year, Thailand’s export growth slowed significantly in May. Exports in May rose 10.6% year-on-year, a sharp slowdown from April’s 23.1%. Officials mainly attributed this slowdown to weaker shipments of agricultural products and a high base in the same period last year. Imports have also cooled. Imports in May rose 35.1% year-on-year, lower than April’s 45% increase. As a result, Thailand’s trade deficit narrowed from last month’s record USD 10 billion to USD 5.7 billion. The AI boom opens a new engine for exports Thailand has long been an important global manufacturing base for electronics, and this round of AI boom is creating new sources of export demand. As global tech companies compete to expand AI infrastructure, demand for servers, hard drives and related electronic components continues to climb, further highlighting Thailand’s strategic value as a regional manufacturing hub. Electronics now account for nearly one-third of Thailand’s export structure. This highly concentrated industrial layout means the sustainability of the AI investment cycle will directly determine whether Thailand’s annual exports can achieve the historic high as expected. Risk warning and disclaimer The market has risks; investment requires caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial status, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Investment is at your own risk.