Thailand’s EEC Gets 8 New Promotion Zones

FTZ News: The Eastern Economic Corridor Office has put an overview of its special economic promotion zones on its site. The page names the estates and the special hubs. No hectares, no tax rates, no output.

According to the EECO site, a special economic promotion zone is land inside the Eastern Economic Corridor that the Policy Committee sets aside for one or more target industries, for firms that supply them, and for passing expertise from operators, schools and research bodies. The law is the Eastern Special Development Zone Act, B.E. 2561 (2018). Rules for opening, changing or closing a zone came in B.E. 2568 (2025). The committee draws the boundary and sets the benefits.

The page says the zones should build target industries that do not cut across one another, back the supplier firms, and move expertise in line with land-use rules, public health and the environment. The secretary-general can sign permits that would otherwise sit under other laws: land cut and fill, building control, machine registration, public health, commercial registration, factories and land allocation. On immigration, the power stops at letting certain foreigners stay under Section 54 (1) or (2).

The industry list has 32 names, mostly private estates in Chonburi and Rayong. WHA has Rayong 36, Eastern Seaboard, Map Ta Phut, Chonburi 1 and 2, Eastern Seaboard 1 through 4, and WHA Industrial Estate Rayong. Amata has City Chonburi, a second project, City Rayong and City Chonburi 2. Pinthong has five listings, including Laem Chabang. Also named: CPGC, TFD’s second project, Yamato, Smart Park, Asia Clean in Chonburi, Rojana Nongyai, Rojana Laem Chabang, EGCO Rayong, Apex Green, Chachoengsao Blue Tech City and 304 Industrial Park 2. The office page still had Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate and LK-RICH, the rubber city hub, marked under Cabinet review.

A second list is for set industries: EECh, the high-speed rail ribbon; EECmd, a medical hub; EECi, an innovation platform; EECtp, Tech Park Ban Chang; EECg, genomics; EECiti, called the EEC capital; EECa, Eastern Airport City; EECmhp, a medical and health center at Pluak Daeng; and EECd, a digital park.

A third list is for set businesses: next-generation autos at Banpho, e-commerce at Bang Pakong, a food-processing and Thai coffee cluster at Bang Pakong, LifeSphere medical center, and LNG Map Ta Phut Terminal 2. The office page had the last three under Cabinet review.

Nation Thailand reported on Oct. 6 that the Cabinet had noted eight zones: Amata City Chonburi 2, 304 Industrial Park 2, the Bang Pakong food and coffee cluster, Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Lakchai Muang Yang in Rayong, LifeSphere in Pattaya, Map Ta Phut LNG Terminal 2, and a smart logistics zone in Chachoengsao. Deputy government spokesman Ploythalay Laksameesaengjan gave the list. The office page does not say how many of the 32 estates have lines running, or what a firm must show to get the benefit./.