Thailand promotes more use of industrial robots, automation

BANGKOK, December 21 (TNA) - The state-run Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI), under the Ministry of Industry, promotes the more application of robots and automation to domestic industries in order to enhance their productivity. New BOI Secretary-General Duangjai Asawachintachit spoke of the policy while opening a seminar on the use of industrial robots and automation for the national economic development, held in Bangkok on December 20. Duangjai said promoting more use of industrial robots and automation has been part of BOI's measure on helping enhance the productivity of domestic industries launched since 2013. Duangjai pointed out, however, that investment projects on the use of industrial robots or automation approved by BOI have been only 48 out of overall 140 approved projects so far, worth about 11 billion baht out of 38 billion baht totally. The BOI chief noted that most of approved projects under the measure have been those on energy saving or alternative energy for the environmental protection, with solar-cell projects slated the most. The BOI chief, thus, urged business operators to apply more industrial robots and automation systems to their production in order to increase their productivity. The BOI chief anticipated that new investment projects seeking for her agency's approvals next year with the use of industrial robots and automation should be about 50 per cent higher than this year. (TNA)