PEZA pitches Philippines to Thai investors

BANGKOK, Thailand — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority pitched the Philippines as a competitive and reliable base for Thai companies looking to expand in the region during an investment briefing in Bangkok, as Manila moves to deepen commercial ties with one of its key Southeast Asian partners.

The luncheon briefing, organized by the Asian Consulting Group, drew 32 C-level executives from garments manufacturing, ceramics manufacturing, renewables, agro-processing, IT-BPM, and construction.

The program brought together several figures involved in Philippines–Thailand trade and investment relations.

Ella Burgos, commercial counsellor of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Bangkok, delivered the welcome remarks.

Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz-Paredes highlighted the long-standing diplomatic relations and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

Mon Abrea, founder and chief tax advisor of ACG, urged Thai investors to explore opportunities in the Philippines and consider the country as their “home away from home.”

During the briefing, PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga said the Philippines continues to offer strong investment fundamentals, and he pointed to the fiscal incentives regime under the CREATE MORE Law as a key factor in making the country easier and more attractive for foreign investors.

Panga said the reforms strengthen the Philippines’ position as a strategic, cost-competitive, and policy-supportive location in Southeast Asia for companies seeking a regional base.

PEZA, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, is mandated to promote investments, register projects, grant incentives, and help facilitate business operations in economic zones. Republic Act No. 12066, or the CREATE MORE Act, was enacted on Nov. 8, 2024, and the law’s implementing rules were signed on Feb. 17, 2025, with the Department of Finance saying the measure was designed to make the tax incentives regime more globally competitive, investment-friendly, predictable, and accountable.

Arunee Piriyatanakankul of the Thai World Group of Companies shared the group’s positive experience investing in the Philippines and urged fellow Thai executives to register their projects with PEZA.

Thai World Group is the parent company of PhilCo Food Processing Inc., a new PEZA-registered locator engaged in coconut processing, including ultra-high temperature coconut milk and frozen coconut meat.

The company has built a new 5.5-hectare facility inside the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate Special Economic Zone, and the project is expected to generate up to 2,500 jobs once commercial operations reach full scale.

On the sidelines of the luncheon, PEZA, with assistance from PTIC-Bangkok, also met with a stevia processing company that is studying investment opportunities in the Philippines.

The company is considering putting up a plantation and processing facility in the country and is now evaluating a proposed 1,000-hectare site somewhere in ASEAN for its expansion.

PEZA also met with FiberHome Thailand to benchmark its manufacturing facility for optical fiber cables, networking equipment, and ICT solutions.

FiberHome also runs service facilities in the Philippines that provide end-to-end fiber-optic communication, data networking, and wireless communication solutions.

PEZA and FiberHome signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2025 to explore how PEZA ecozones can be transformed into smart industrial communities through new technologies and digital solutions.

Panga said the growing interest from Thai companies shows the potential for longer-term investment partnerships between the two countries.

“Thai companies have shown that when you invest in the Philippines, you gain more than market access—you gain a partner that values speed, stability, and sustained support,” said Director General Panga. “Through PEZA, we make it easier for investors to set up, expand, and operate competitively, supported by a responsive incentives framework under the CREATE MORE Law, while helping create quality jobs and stronger value chains that benefit both our countries.”

The investment push comes as the Philippines and Thailand continue to build on stronger bilateral engagement. Philippine officials have said Thailand was the Philippines’ sixth-largest trading partner in 2024, while both countries also marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.

PEZA said it remains open to Thai investors in priority sectors such as manufacturing, agribusiness, renewable energy, and services, and will continue assisting prospective locators from project exploration to registration and operations.