Thammasak Sethaudom, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Cement Public Company Limited (SCC), said at the Thailand Focus 2026 event that Thailand must adopt an ASEAN Strategy to build a market scale large enough to compete with China. He noted that foreign direct investment (FDI) applications this year have approached 1 trillion baht, covering data centers, biotechnology, carbon reduction, green economy, and recycling industries. The government is accelerating efforts through four sub-committees on FTA, human capital, digital, and government efficiency, as well as using super-licensing to attract investment. Thammasak views the China+1 trend as a structural change, not temporary, and ASEAN will become a Blue Ocean compared to the Red Ocean in China. SCC is adapting by gradually closing old plants in ASEAN and investing in large centralized plants using AI and robotics to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Thailand must elevate itself from an investment recipient to a Strategic Hub connecting China, ASEAN, and global markets over the next 10-20 years.
The Siam Cement Public Company LimitedSCC CEO discusses ASEAN strategy to seize opportunities from geopolitical crisis, with FDI inflows and China+1 trend boosting demand for SCC's products.
