The BOI grants additional tax incentives to projects in four regional economic corridors: the Northern Economic Corridor (NEC), the Northeastern Economic Corridor (NeEC), the Central-Western Economic Corridor (CWEC) and the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC). Each covers four provinces and targets specific industries. Projects that also carry out human resource development or R&D can receive 2 extra years of corporate income tax exemption (Group A1+), or a 50% tax reduction for 3 years after the exemption period (Groups A1 to A4). The measure is set by BOI Announcement No. 18/2565 and has applied since 3 January 2023.
Last updated: October 2026
A measure distinct from the EEC
The Eastern Economic Corridor (Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong) has its own law, its own agency and its own incentive packages, and remains the best-equipped region for ports and logistics. See our guide to the Eastern Economic Corridor.
The four regional corridors follow a different logic: they use the standard BOI framework and add incentives for projects that match each region’s economic strengths and invest in people or technology. They are a way to spread investment beyond Bangkok and the Eastern Seaboard, often with lower land and labour costs.
The four corridors and their target industries
| Corridor | Provinces | Target industries |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Economic Corridor (NEC, “Creative LANNA”) | Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang | Agriculture and food, digital, creative industries, tourism and wellness tourism |
| Northeastern Economic Corridor (NeEC, “Bioeconomy”) | Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Nong Khai | Agriculture and food, bio-based industries |
| Central-Western Economic Corridor (CWEC) | Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi | Agriculture and food, electrical appliances and electronics |
| Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) | Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat | Agriculture and food, bio-based industries, tourism and wellness tourism |
Examples of eligible activities
Eligible activities are BOI activities in Groups A1+ to A4 that belong to these industries. The announcement lists them in detail, including:
- Agriculture and food: food and starch manufacturing, functional and health foods, herbal extracts, natural rubber products, biological fertilisers, plant factories, cold storage, modern agricultural machinery.
- Bio-based industries: bioplastics, biochemicals, fuel and alcohol from agricultural waste, biotechnology.
- Electrical appliances and electronics: electronic design, semiconductors and ICs, printed circuit boards, batteries, solar cells, smart appliances, measuring instruments.
- Digital: software and digital content, data centres, cloud services, smart city development.
- Creative industries: creative product design, technical and recycled fibres, dyeing and printing, gems and jewellery, film production and studios.
- Tourism and wellness: hotels (only in Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Chumphon, Ranong and Nakhon Si Thammarat), traditional Thai medicine services, amusement parks, convention and exhibition centres.
The BOI may exclude activities that have no permanent location or whose operations would be located outside the corridor provinces.
The incentives
The condition: human resource development or R&D
The corridor incentives are not granted for the location alone. The project must meet one of two conditions:
- Human resource development: cooperation with a Thai educational institution through work-integrated learning, cooperative education, dual vocational training or another BOI-approved programme. Students in training must represent at least 10% of the project’s employees or at least 40 people, whichever is lower.
- Research and development: R&D spending, in-house, outsourced in Thailand or jointly with foreign organisations, of at least 1% of total sales over the first three years, or 200 million baht, whichever is lower.
What the project receives
| BOI activity group | Corridor incentive |
|---|---|
| A1+ | 2 additional years of corporate income tax exemption |
| A1, A2, A3, A4 | 50% reduction of corporate income tax for 3 years after the exemption period ends |
These incentives come on top of the standard incentives of the promoted activity, whose corporate income tax exemption ranges from 3 years for Group A4 to up to 13 years for the most strategic A1+ activities. A project already granted more than 8 years of exemption cannot receive further exemption years under this measure.
Location inside the corridor
A project in a corridor can also receive the BOI’s location incentives, in addition to the corridor incentive:
- Industrial estate or BOI-promoted industrial zone: one additional year of corporate income tax exemption under the BOI’s industrial area development incentive, within the overall caps. See our guide to choosing an IEAT industrial estate.
- Science and technology park: the incentives of the science park measure, which depend on the activity: 2 additional years of exemption for biotechnology, nanotechnology and advanced materials development, or a 50% tax reduction for 5 years for other eligible activities. Several parks are located in the corridors, in Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Nakhon Si Thammarat for example. See our article on science and technology parks.
For the general BOI framework and activity groups, see our guide to BOI promotion.
How to choose a corridor
The first question is whether your activity belongs to the target industries of the corridor. Land cost and labour availability come next. As a rule of thumb:
- an agri-food or bio-based project has the broadest choice, since agriculture and food is targeted in all four corridors, with bio-based industries in the NeEC and SEC;
- a digital, creative or tourism project fits the NEC, around the universities and creative ecosystem of Chiang Mai;
- an electronics or electrical appliance project fits the CWEC, close to Bangkok and to the existing industrial base around Ayutthaya;
- a tourism or wellness project outside the North fits the SEC.
Then check that the project can realistically meet the human resource development or R&D condition. Without it, the corridor incentive is not available, although the project may still be promoted under the standard BOI rules.
Key takeaways
- BOI Announcement No. 18/2565, in force since 3 January 2023, creates incentives in four regional economic corridors: NEC, NeEC, CWEC and SEC, each covering four provinces.
- Each corridor targets specific industries; agriculture and food is targeted in all four.
- The incentives require human resource development with a Thai educational institution, or R&D spending of at least 1% of sales over three years or 200 million baht.
- Group A1+ projects receive 2 extra years of corporate income tax exemption; Groups A1 to A4 receive a 50% tax reduction for 3 years after the exemption.
- Location in an industrial estate or a science park can add further incentives, within the BOI’s caps.
- The measure is separate from the EEC, which has its own law and incentive packages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the EEC and the regional economic corridors?
The EEC covers Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong, with its own law, agency and incentive packages. The four regional corridors cover sixteen other provinces and use BOI incentives added to the standard promotion, under human resource development or R&D conditions.
Which provinces are in the Northern Economic Corridor?
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun and Lampang. The NEC targets agriculture and food, digital, creative industries and tourism and wellness tourism.
Is a location in a corridor province enough to get the incentives?
No. The activity must belong to the corridor’s target industries, and the project must either cooperate with a Thai educational institution on human resource development or meet the R&D spending threshold.
What incentives does the measure offer?
2 additional years of corporate income tax exemption for Group A1+ activities, and a 50% reduction of corporate income tax for 3 years after the exemption period for Groups A1 to A4. These come on top of the standard incentives of the promoted activity.
Can a standard manufacturing project benefit?
Yes, if it belongs to the corridor’s target industries, for example food processing in any corridor or electronics in the CWEC, and meets the human resource development or R&D condition.
Are the Southern Economic Corridor and the border Special Economic Zones the same thing?
No. The SEC covers Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. The border Special Economic Zones are a separate scheme with their own incentives, in provinces such as Songkhla, Tak and Nong Khai.
Is the measure still in force in 2026?
Yes. Announcement No. 18/2565 sets no application deadline, and the corridors are included in the BOI’s 2026 investment promotion guide.
Conclusion
The regional economic corridors offer a credible alternative to the EEC for projects whose activity matches the region’s strengths and that are ready to invest in training or R&D. The conditions are precise, so eligibility should be checked activity by activity before choosing a location.
Our team helps foreign investors compare locations, check their eligibility and prepare their BOI application, in the EEC or in the regional corridors. Contact us to discuss your project.
