ส.อ.ท. เร่งเครื่องอุตสาหกรรมไทย ดันนโยบายสำคัญ เพิ่มขีดความสามารถการแข่งขันในประชุม กส.FTI Accelerates Thai Industry, Promotes Key Policies to Enhance Competitive Capacity at the BOD Meeting

On Monday, July 27, 2026, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) held the 6th FTI Board of Directors Meeting of 2026 (4) led by Mrs. Pimjai Leeissaranukul, President of FTI, together with Mr. Wetith Chokwatana, Senior Vice President of FTI, Chairman of the ASEAN and Logistics Committee, Mr. Isaret Rattanadilok Na Phuket, Registrar of FTI, and Membership Complaint Affairs Ms. Ketsamanee Lertkijja, Treasurer of FTI, and Mr. Panithan Pawarolarnwittaya, Secretary-General of FTI, attended the meeting with FTI Board members from across the country at Meeting Room 109, 1st Floor, Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

The BOD meeting presented key agendas beneficial for driving the industrial sector, including:

1. FTI executives met with the Minister of Industry at the Ministry of Industry’s permanent secretary office to discuss 7 key issues, including: 1. Policy proposals to address the crisis situation in the Thai pickup truck industry 2. Cooperation to enhance regulatory oversight and expand Made in Thailand (MiT) in the region 3. Driving the mechanical agriculture industry strategy 4. Improving industrial waste management in Thailand 5. BUY THAI campaign 6. Developing and promoting the Thai halal industry to compete in ASEAN and global markets 7. Collaboration mechanism between the Ministry of Industry and the Federation of Thai Industries, along with the establishment of a working group to follow up on progress every two months to ensure tangible results.

2. The President of FTI discussed the energy price situation resulting from the conflict between the United States and Iran, which has led to increased oil prices and industrial costs, particularly affecting SMEs. He proposed that the government expedite the reduction of fuel prices to alleviate living costs and production, transportation, and logistics costs alongside long-term measures to enhance energy efficiency, promote clean energy, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

3. The President of FTI participated in a meeting to review the investment promotion policy towards the “New Chapter of BOI,” focusing on driving 7 targeted industries under Reinvent Thailand while employing both tax and non-tax measures, and establishing Joint KPI among agencies to connect the Thai industry with new investment chains and enhance long-term competitive capacity.

4. The President of FTI attended the opening ceremony of the BOI office in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, to promote Thai-Chinese economic and investment cooperation, emphasizing market distribution and balance of investors from Japan, China, and other countries, as well as driving Thailand to be a production base and a sustainable supply chain hub for the region.

5. The President of FTI and the executive team attended the Joint Private Sector-Government Committee Meeting to address economic issues (Gor.) No. 2/2026. The meeting accelerated the promotion of 9 flood prevention projects for Hat Yai with a budget of 99.5 million baht, alongside a disaster recovery loan measure totaling 104 billion baht and established 4 subcommittees to drive 7 targeted industries under Reinvent Thailand in both Quick Big Win within 6 months and Big Win over 1–4 years.

6. The President of FTI and the Secretary-General of FTI attended the Anti-Corruption Coordination Committee (ACT) meeting No. 1/2026, where the meeting approved the appointment of the subcommittee to address bribery and public sector corruption risks, approved the project proposal “1 Department 1 Transparency without Grey” and measures against corruption in public service examinations, including to elevate the EEC area services to be a model for digital public services.

7. The drive of the policy “Thailand Pragmatic Energy Transition” aims to create a balance of 4 dimensions: 1. Energy security 2. Appropriate energy costs 3. Sustainability and 4. Competitive capacity, with the National Energy Policy Committee (NEPC) approving crucial measures such as reducing electricity prices for the first 1–200 units to 3 baht per unit, expanding Direct PPA to the industrial sector, and advancing community solar farms of 1,500 megawatts, along with expediting the completion of PDP 2026 by August 2026.

8. FTI made suggestions for the draft of the 14th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2028-2030), integrating the 5I strategies and opinions from the industrial sector and regions covering economic restructuring, public sector reform, human capital development, sustainability, and technology to enhance productivity and competitiveness while driving comprehensive and sustainable economic growth.

9. The Community and SMEs Economic Advancement Meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Ms. Supachai Suethamphai, highlighted the FTI's proposal on 4 significant points: 1. Increasing opportunities for SMEs to access funding sources 2. Driving creative economy through local identity 3. Promoting Thailand as a Global Brand and Product Champion 4. Promoting Thai products through Made in Thailand (MiT) measures.

10. The development of connectivity networks to efficiently reduce the missing link, with progress on the construction of the new Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge and the full-scale official opening of the new Sadao border checkpoint.

11. FTI executives met with the Minister of Industry and proposed three key approaches: 1. Revising the draft Industrial Waste Management Act to specifically cover industrial waste separate from consumer waste 2. Developing an automatic approval system (Automatic E-License) using AI and Waste Code to link data 3. Promoting the Circular Economy and End-of-Waste by reusing waste materials.

12. The progress of the draft Clean Air Management Act as the Senate approved the third reading to amend the draft legislation by adding FTI representatives in the national committee and academic and provincial levels, eliminating the “defer and redeem” system, and the accountability of financial institutions while reducing penalty rates and stipulating the Clean Air Fund's operation according to financial discipline laws. Additionally, a joint committee may be established to further consider it.

13. The Joint Private Sector Committee from 3 institutions (Gor.) organized a meeting to clarify the “Reinvent Thailand Big Brother Helps Little Brother x PromptBiz” project, which assists SMEs in utilizing purchase orders and invoices certified by buyer companies to apply for loans through digital systems, reducing the use of collateral and increasing liquidity, with interest rates of approximately 4–5% and possibly dropping to no more than 3.5% when receiving Soft Loans, along with preparations to expand into retail businesses and Non-bank sectors under data security standards in the future.

14. The employment promotion loan project, phase 3, with a maximum funding of 15–50 million baht depending on the size of the establishment, offers an interest rate not exceeding 2.35% for secured loans and up to 4.75% for unsecured loans, requiring retention of employment at no less than 80%, alongside the promotion of benefits from the Labor Development Fund to support training, technology, and innovation of establishments.

15. Progress on the implementation of Smart Cards for foreign workers, where FTI proposed increasing service points, setting up mobile service units, and providing leniency measures for workers who are yet to receive Smart Cards, while the Ministry of Labor issued temporary work permits (form BT.62) for immediate use to confirm work rights and conduct various transactions while waiting for Smart Cards to ensure legal employment continuity.

16. The Transparency Review Committee reported the results of the election process for the FTI Committee of Nakhon Phanom Province, recommending that all agencies adhere strictly to FTI regulations and the regulations of the industrial group/provincial industrial council regarding membership acceptance. The meeting resolved to approve the verification of membership data of the industrial group/provincial industrial council as of December 31, 2025, thoroughly, and proposed the organization of an orientation for committee members to build understanding about regulations and proper practices moving forward.

17. FTI upgraded its system for receiving and monitoring member complaints while accelerating the resolution of key issues, including foreign labor, border trade, energy costs, and product standards, alongside pushing for defense and aviation industries by promoting Made in Thailand products, increasing local content, linking supply chains, and enhancing MRO potential for unmanned aircraft and cybersecurity to create policy proposals for further government action.

18. The project “The Yasothon Model: A Digitally-Enabled Circular Ecosystem for a Zero-Waste Future,” which incorporates digital technology to drive a circular economy and material recycling management, managed to collect over 2,600 tons of recycled materials, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 6,770 tons of CO2 equivalent and promoting more than 1,000 households to permanently sort waste while increasing the return rate of UHT milk cartons by 16 times within 2 years.

19. The calendar of activities for FTI for the years 2026-2028, scheduled for August 30-31, 2026, includes significant activities such as the announcement of policy achievements,