Thailand
Southeast Asia · Bangkok · THB (Thai Baht)
Economy & industry overview
Thailand is a developing mixed economy and the second-largest in Southeast Asia, with a nominal GDP of approximately 529 billion USD in 2024. The economy is driven by exports, tourism, agriculture, and a substantial manufacturing base that includes electronics, automobiles, and petrochemicals. Tourism is a major foreign-exchange earner, while the agricultural sector, including rice and rubber, remains a significant employer. The financial sector, energy sector led by state-owned PTT, and a growing digital-economy segment all contribute meaningfully to output. GDP growth slowed to an estimated 2.5 percent in 2024 and 2.1 percent in 2025, weighed down by trade headwinds and subdued domestic credit.
Key sectors
Learn everything about Thailand →Macro
| GDP nominal, USD | $529.39B |
| GDP growth real, annual | 2.5% |
| Inflation annual | -0.1% |
| Population people | 71.7M |
| GDP per capita USD | $7,387 |
| Market cap total listed, USD | $510.00B |
| Market cap / GDP | 88.8% |
| Unemployment | 1.0% |
| Listed companies | 861 |
| Exchange | Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) |
Primary data year: 2024. Sources: IMF Article IV Consultation 2025, World Bank World Development Indicators, OECD Capital Market Review of Thailand 2025, Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), MSCI Global Market Accessibility Review 2025, National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) Thailand, Bank of Thailand, FocusEconomics Thailand, Worldometer / Macrotrends GDP data, iShares / BlackRock THD ETF factsheet, ETFdb.com. Individual figures may cover different reference periods — for example a fiscal year, or an estimate for the current year — and the overview above states these where known.
Latest news
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Other Southeast Asia markets
Indonesia
Malaysia
Vietnam
PhilippinesLargest listed companies
The biggest companies on the main local exchange, by market capitalisation. Where a foreign company holds a secondary listing here, it is shown after the domestic companies.
| # | Company | Sector | Market capUSD | US listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delta Electronics (Thailand) Public Company LimitedDELTA · SET | Information Technology · Electronic Components | $104.00B | — |
| 2 | PTT Public Company LimitedPTT · SET | Energy · Integrated Oil and Gas | $35.74B | — |
| 3 | Advanced Info Service Public Company LimitedADVANC · SET | Communication Services · Telecom Services | $27.00B | — |
| 4 | Gulf Energy Development Public Company LimitedGULF · SET | Utilities · Independent Power | $26.00B | — |
| 5 | Airports of Thailand Public Company LimitedAOT · SET | Industrials · Airports and Air Services | $22.00B | AIPUY |
| 6 | PTT Exploration and Production Public Company LimitedPTTEP · SET | Energy · Oil and Gas Exploration and Production | $17.50B | — |
| 7 | Krung Thai Bank Public Company LimitedKTB · SET | Financials · Banking | $15.50B | — |
| 8 | Kasikornbank Public Company LimitedKBANK · SET | Financials · Banking | $14.80B | — |
| 9 | SCB X Public Company LimitedSCB · SET | Financials · Banking | $13.20B | — |
| 10 | True Corporation Public Company LimitedTRUE · SET | Communication Services · Telecom Services | $11.50B | — |
| 11 | CP ALL Public Company LimitedCPALL · SET | Consumer Staples · Food Retail | $11.00B | — |
| 12 | Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Company LimitedBDMS · SET | Healthcare · Medical Care Facilities | $11.00B | — |
| 13 | Intouch Holdings Public Company LimitedINTUCH · SET | Communication Services · Telecom Holding | $9.40B | — |
| 14 | Bangkok Bank Public Company LimitedBBL · SET | Financials · Banking | $8.90B | BKKLY |
| 15 | CP Axtra Public Company LimitedCPAXT · SET | Consumer Staples · Wholesale Retail | $8.50B | — |
| 16 | Central Pattana Public Company LimitedCPN · SET | Real Estate · Retail Property | $7.00B | — |
| 17 | Central Retail Corporation Public Company LimitedCRC · SET | Consumer Discretionary · Department Stores and Retail | $6.50B | — |
| 18 | TMBThanachart Bank Public Company LimitedTTB · SET | Financials · Banking | $5.80B | — |
| 19 | Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company LimitedCPF · SET | Consumer Staples · Food Production | $5.50B | — |
| 20 | The Siam Cement Public Company LimitedSCC · SET | Materials · Cement and Building Materials | $5.30B | — |
| 21 | Bank of Ayudhya Public Company LimitedBAY · SET | Financials · Banking | $5.10B | — |
| 22 | Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company LimitedBH · SET | Healthcare · Medical Care Facilities | $3.90B | — |
| 23 | Minor International Public Company LimitedMINT · SET | Consumer Discretionary · Hotels and Restaurants | $3.50B | — |
| 24 | Thai Oil Public Company LimitedTOP · SET | Energy · Oil Refining | $2.80B | — |
| 25 | Siam Commercial Bank Public Company LimitedSCBX · SET | Financials · Banking | $2.60B | — |
US-traded ETFs
Funds listed in the US that give exposure to this market, the simplest route for many US investors.
| ETF | Scope | Expense ratioannual % | Exposure% of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| THDiShares MSCI Thailand ETF · BlackRock (iShares) | Single-country | 0.59% | 98% |
| XCEMColumbia EM Core ex-China ETF · Columbia Threadneedle | Broad EM | 0.16% | 5% |
| EEMViShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF · BlackRock (iShares) | Broad EM | 0.25% | 6% |
| DVYEiShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF · BlackRock (iShares) | Broad EM | 0.50% | 6% |
| ASEAGlobal X - FTSE Southeast Asia ETF · Global X (Mirae Asset) | Regional | 0.65% | 25% |
Local exchange & access
| Exchange | Stock Exchange of Thailand |
| Code | SET |
| Website | www.set.or.th |
| Currency | THB |
Local broker access
Foreign investors can access SET-listed stocks through international online brokers that offer Thai market access, including Interactive Brokers, as well as local Thai brokers such as Kasikorn Securities, Bualuang Securities, and SCB Securities that open accounts for non-residents subject to documentation requirements. Most foreign investors access Thai equities via Non-Voting Depository Receipts (NVDRs), which carry full economic rights but no voting rights, and circumvent certain foreign ownership limits. US investors without a Thai brokerage account can obtain Thailand exposure through the iShares MSCI Thailand ETF (THD) listed on NYSE Arca.
Global brokers with foreign-market access
- Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
- Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
- Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
- Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.
Listed for convenience only. Not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.
Relocation & residency
Investment visa / residency programme
Grants Long-stay visa (10-year renewable, no permanent residency or citizenship)
Thailand does not operate a traditional golden visa programme granting permanent residency or citizenship by investment. However, the government introduced the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa in 2022, a renewable 10-year visa available to certain categories including wealthy global citizens who meet asset and investment requirements. One qualifying pathway requires holding at least 500,000 USD in assets and investing at least 500,000 USD in Thai property, government bonds, or Thai investment funds. The LTR visa permits holders to work in Thailand under a specific digital work permit and provides certain tax privileges, but it does not confer permanent residency status or a path to citizenship.
Minimum investment: $500.00K
Need help applying? Specialist investment-migration advisers such as Henley & Partners.
Foreign-investor access
Thailand is a popular destination for expatriates and digital nomads. The LTR visa introduced in 2022 provides a long-term legal stay option for qualifying foreign nationals. Cost of living in Bangkok is moderate by regional standards. Foreign nationals generally cannot own freehold land but may own condominium units and may enter into long-term leases for property. The Revenue Department applies tax on income earned in Thailand, and since 2024 foreign-sourced income remitted to Thailand in the same tax year is subject to personal income tax for tax residents.
US-listed ADRs & cross-listings
Companies from this country whose shares also trade in the US, investable in a normal US brokerage account.
| Company | US ticker | Local ticker | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited | AVIFY | ADVANC | AIS, Thailand's largest mobile operator, is accessible to US investors via an OTC ADR. The company provides mobile and broadband services and has a large subscriber base across Thailand. The ADR trades with limited liquidity relative to the local SET listing. |
| Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited | AIPUY | AOT | Traded OTC in the US as an ADR. AOT operates six international airports in Thailand and is majority owned by the Thai Ministry of Finance. The OTC ADR provides US investors a direct means to hold shares in this state-enterprise airport operator. |
| Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited | BKKLY | BBL | Bangkok Bank trades as an OTC ADR in the US market. It is one of Thailand's largest and oldest commercial banks with a significant international branch network. The ADR provides US investors access to a leading Thai financial institution with regional banking operations. |
| Kasikornbank Public Company Limited | KPCPY | KBANK | Kasikornbank (KBank) trades as an OTC ADR in the US. It is one of Thailand's largest private commercial banks and a leader in digital banking. The ADR represents an avenue for US investors to hold shares in a major Thai financial institution. |
| PTT Public Company Limited | PTTRY | PTT | PTT, Thailand's national energy company, trades OTC in the US as an ADR. The company spans upstream exploration, midstream pipelines, downstream refining, and petrochemicals through its subsidiaries. The ADR offers US investors exposure to Thailand's dominant state-owned energy conglomerate. |