In a statement during a CEO Forum with Thailand Businesses held in Bangkok on Monday (19/5/25,) Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, invited Thai investors to explore opportunities in Indonesia through Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and infrastructure development through collaborative projects in transportation, energy, and urban development, according to reporting from Antara News.
In his speech, the minister noted that global trade has become increasingly unpredictable, and Indonesia has accelerated efforts to reform trade and investment policies, ease regulations, and strengthen bilateral relations.
He also highlighted the fundamental strength of the ASEAN economy.
In 2024, ASEAN recorded a growth rate of 4.8 percent, supported by household consumption and investment in leading sectors such as electric vehicles, data centers, and semiconductors, says Antara News.
ASEAN’s total merchandise trade increased by about 8.9 percent, reaching USD 3,841 billion. Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows totaled USD 234 billion, and the ASEAN tourism sector experienced significant expansion in 2024, with an estimated 126.5 million foreign tourist arrivals.
Antara News says that ASEAN’s economic expansion is estimated to grow by 4.7 percent in 2025 amid external risks, including uncertainty over US trade policy.
“Therefore, Indonesia is opening up strategic opportunities for Thai businessmen in leading sectors, including mineral resource downstreaming, electric vehicle ecosystems, digital infrastructure, and data centers,” Hartarto explained.
Economic relations between Indonesia and Thailand have shown significant growth. In 2024, Indonesia’s exports to Thailand reached around USD 7.7 billion, with the main commodities including coal, automotive parts, and steel.
Meanwhile, imports from Thailand reached USD 9.7 billion, dominated by products such as rice, sugar cane, automotive parts, and machinery.
During the 2020 to 2024 period, Thailand’s investment reached USD 1.06 billion across 1,800 projects in various sectors, including non-metallic minerals, agriculture, plantations, rubber, plastics, energy, warehousing, and logistics services.
Source: Antara News
Stock photo by Khan Ishaan on Pexels
