“Chinese investors are becoming a more powerful force in Thailand’s industrial-property market, with growing demand for factory land in the Eastern Economic Corridor pushing Chonburi and Rayong further into the spotlight.”
“The shift is reflected in data from the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), which shows the share of Chinese investors in Thai industrial estates rising steadily over the past six years. In 2019, Chinese investors accounted for just 6% of investors in industrial estates. By the end of the first quarter of 2026, that share had climbed to 17.06%, behind only Japan at 22.75%.”
“Some Chinese companies entering the market as real-estate agents or brokers have in practice been assembling large land banks and preparing them for industrial projects. Several have reportedly accumulated thousands of rai before developing the land in phases, with much of the space later sold to other Chinese investors.”
“Chinese investment in Thailand had taken several forms. Some investment flows into industrial estates or industrial zones governed by conditions set by the Ministry of Industry. However, another model has caused concern because it creates limited benefit for the Thai economy.”
“The first concern involves so-called ‘zero-dollar’ factories and industrial estates…”
https://www.nationthailand.com/business/manufacturing/40067791
See also: Chinese land deals in EEC expose industrial park loophole
“Although Hengtu Industrial Park Co Ltd is legally registered as a real-estate brokerage business, its operational pattern appears closer to industrial-estate-style development, including large land holdings, utility preparation, major electricity planning and land preparation for investors.”