GlobalData’s report, ‘Construction in Thailand - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2023’ revealed that Thailand had gained growth momentum in 2018, with output expanding by 2.7% in real terms after a slump of 2.8% in 2017. The industry’s expansion will be driven by the government’s efforts to develop the country’s transport infrastructure, coupled with efforts to boost the residential construction market.
Dhananjay Sharma, Analyst at GlobalData, commented, “The growth of the industry during the forecast period is expected to be supported by the government’s focus on the development of transport and energy infrastructure in the country. Under the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) project, the government plans to invest THB106.8 billion (US$3.4 billion) towards the development of 116 projects during the period of 2019 – 2022."
“The focus on the development of the energy sector is also expected to drive the industry growth. The government plans to add 56 431 MW of new power capacity by 2037 under the updated power development plan (PDP 2018 – 2037). In addition, investments under the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme to develop infrastructure in Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong provinces are expected to support construction industry growth over the forecast period.”
Residential construction was the largest market in the Thai construction industry between 2014 and 2018, accounting for 40.9% of its total value in 2018. The market is expected to follow a similar trend over the forecast period, with residential construction accounting for 40.3% of the industry’s total value in 2023. Market output over the forecast period is expected to be supported by the ongoing urbanisation and government efforts to balance housing demand and supply through the construction of low-cost housing units.
Sharma concluded, “The total construction project pipeline in Thailand, as tracked by GlobalData including all mega projects with a value above US$25 million, stands at THB11.5 trillion (US$355.9 billion). The pipeline, which includes all projects from pre-planning to execution, is skewed towards late-stage projects, with 60.3% of the pipeline value being in projects in the pre-execution and execution stages as of October 2019.”