Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Thailand
Thailand: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) was 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Thailand, 1970–2025
Source: Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Thailand stood at 18.53 billion BoP, current US$. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 29.5% on the previous year and up 107.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Thailand peaked at 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, -4.29 billion BoP, current US$, in 2020.
Thailand ranks 25th of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Thailand, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 42.80 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 38.87 million BoP, current US$ | -9.2% |
| 1972 | 68.61 million BoP, current US$ | +76.5% |
| 1973 | 77.83 million BoP, current US$ | +13.4% |
| 1974 | 188.29 million BoP, current US$ | +141.9% |
| 1975 | 85.63 million BoP, current US$ | -54.5% |
| 1976 | 79.12 million BoP, current US$ | -7.6% |
| 1977 | 106.08 million BoP, current US$ | +34.1% |
| 1978 | 55.65 million BoP, current US$ | -47.5% |
| 1979 | 55.28 million BoP, current US$ | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 189.86 million BoP, current US$ | +243.4% |
| 1981 | 290.56 million BoP, current US$ | +53.0% |
| 1982 | 190.87 million BoP, current US$ | -34.3% |
| 1983 | 349.61 million BoP, current US$ | +83.2% |
| 1984 | 401.02 million BoP, current US$ | +14.7% |
| 1985 | 163.20 million BoP, current US$ | -59.3% |
| 1986 | 262.50 million BoP, current US$ | +60.8% |
| 1987 | 351.93 million BoP, current US$ | +34.1% |
| 1988 | 1.11 billion BoP, current US$ | +214.1% |
| 1989 | 1.78 billion BoP, current US$ | +60.6% |
| 1990 | 2.44 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.6% |
| 1991 | 2.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.6% |
| 1992 | 2.11 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 1.80 billion BoP, current US$ | -14.6% |
| 1994 | 1.37 billion BoP, current US$ | -24.3% |
| 1995 | 2.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +51.3% |
| 1996 | 2.34 billion BoP, current US$ | +13.0% |
| 1997 | 3.89 billion BoP, current US$ | +66.7% |
| 1998 | 7.31 billion BoP, current US$ | +87.8% |
| 1999 | 6.10 billion BoP, current US$ | -16.6% |
| 2000 | 3.37 billion BoP, current US$ | -44.8% |
| 2001 | 5.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +50.5% |
| 2002 | 3.34 billion BoP, current US$ | -34.1% |
| 2003 | 5.23 billion BoP, current US$ | +56.6% |
| 2004 | 5.86 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.0% |
| 2005 | 8.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +40.2% |
| 2006 | 8.92 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.5% |
| 2007 | 8.63 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 8.56 billion BoP, current US$ | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 6.41 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.1% |
| 2010 | 14.75 billion BoP, current US$ | +130.0% |
| 2011 | 2.47 billion BoP, current US$ | -83.2% |
| 2012 | 12.90 billion BoP, current US$ | +421.4% |
| 2013 | 15.94 billion BoP, current US$ | +23.5% |
| 2014 | 4.98 billion BoP, current US$ | -68.8% |
| 2015 | 8.93 billion BoP, current US$ | +79.4% |
| 2016 | 3.49 billion BoP, current US$ | -61.0% |
| 2017 | 8.29 billion BoP, current US$ | +137.7% |
| 2018 | 13.75 billion BoP, current US$ | +65.9% |
| 2019 | 5.53 billion BoP, current US$ | -59.7% |
| 2020 | -4.29 billion BoP, current US$ | -177.6% |
| 2021 | 15.39 billion BoP, current US$ | -458.4% |
| 2022 | 11.85 billion BoP, current US$ | -23.0% |
| 2023 | 10.33 billion BoP, current US$ | -12.9% |
| 2024 | 14.30 billion BoP, current US$ | +38.5% |
| 2025 | 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ | +29.5% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 854.27 million BoP, current US$, 21.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.07 billion BoP, current US$, 17.4× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Thailand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +458.4% | -4.29 billion BoP, current US$ | 15.39 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2012 | +421.4% | 2.47 billion BoP, current US$ | 12.90 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 79.82 million BoP, current US$ | 38.87 million BoP, current US$ | 188.29 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 508.04 million BoP, current US$ | 163.20 million BoP, current US$ | 1.78 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.37 billion BoP, current US$ | 7.31 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.36 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.34 billion BoP, current US$ | 8.92 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.47 billion BoP, current US$ | 15.94 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.02 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.29 billion BoP, current US$ | 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
- 22 Vietnam 21.99 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 23 Malaysia 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 24 Poland 20.94 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 26 Sweden 17.26 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 27 Denmark 16.95 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 28 South Korea 15.80 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Thailand
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.97 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.98 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0099 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 79.86 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.6567 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0072 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 58.32 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 3.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0056 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Thailand?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Thailand was 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.29 billion BoP, current US$ in 2020.
- How does Thailand rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Thailand ranks 25th out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 107.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in the reporting economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. Data are in current U.S. dollars.