The Royal Thai Embassy, Seoul, Herald Media Group, and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), co-hosted the IGNITE Thailand–Korea Business Forum, Bangkok on 17 November 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok. The event drew strong interest from Thai and Korean private sectors, with more than 500 investors and business participants from Thailand and South Korea in attendance.

The Opening Ceremony was joined by H.E. Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Thailand, Mr. Lee Hack-young, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Mr. Karn Karuhadej, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mr. Maeng Sung-kyu, chairman of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and H.E. Mr. Tanee Sangrat, Ambassador of Thailand to the ROK.

Senior officials from various economic, trade, and industrial agencies of both countries, such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resource (MOTIR) of the ROK, the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, BOI, EEC Office, and IEAT—also provided comprehensive insights of bilateral economic cooperation.

Throughout the forum, speakers shared perspectives on several key topics of mutual interest. These included updates on the Korea–Thailand Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (KTCEPA) negotiations, Thailand’s investment incentives, particularly for targeted industries such as biotechnology, smart energy, smart appliances, and semiconductors. The speakers also discussed opportunities for the further collaboration in the rapidly growing creative industries, such as digital content, film, music, K-Wave, and K-Beauty.

Representatives from both sides agreed that there remains significant room to expand Thailand–Korea economic cooperation. Thailand affirmed its readiness to provide full support and facilitation to foreign investors, including Korean businesses, to promote investment in targeted sector. At the same time, the country welcomes the participation of the Korean private sector in national development projects and infrastructure initiatives in strategic areas such as Bangkok and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

Following the forum on 18 November 2025, members of the Korean business delegation had a meeting with Thai Prime Minister and site visits to major industrial estates in Thailand.

The program included visits to the Araya Industrial Estate in Samut Prakan, the WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate in Rayong as well as a briefing on the EEC’s development and management framework. These visits offered Korean companies a firsthand understanding of Thailand’s business environment, infrastructure readiness, and concrete investment opportunities. In addtion, Mr. Vikrom Kromadit, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amata Corporation PCL. hosted a dinner for the delegation and provided a briefing on Amata City Chonburi Industrial Estate at Amata Castle.

Ignite Thailand Business Forum, Bangkok served as a platform for policy exchanges between government agencies and private sectors and brought together, for the first time, a large number of entrepreneurs and investors from Thailand and the ROK, presenting an opportunity to advance Thailand-ROK economic cooperation.