Thailand received ~1.5 trillion baht (US$45bn) in BOI investment applications in H1 2026—up 40% YoY—but the real challenge is converting this capital into productive capability. Deputy Finance Minister Santhithar outlined that Thailand's growth model based on labor and resources is exhausted due to aging demographics; success must shift to productivity and developing strength in emerging sectors (AI infrastructure, advanced electronics, green economy, robotics). The opportunity lies in positioning Thailand as a "trusted connector" in an increasingly fragmented global economy, while Thai startups must compete in AI applications rather than frontier models.