The mark of Thai investors in Nghe An
Nghe An is gradually asserting its role as an important industrial growth hub in the North Central region and the whole country. Thailand has emerged as one of the strategic, long-term investment partners. To date, the total investment capital from Thai businesses in Nghe An has reached VND 5,460 billion across 9 projects, making a significant contribution to the province's socio-economic development.
WHA Group's mark on the Southeast Economic Zone.
Vietnam and Thailand have an increasingly deep and broad economic and investment cooperation relationship, which was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2013. Within ASEAN, Thailand is a country with many large corporations, experience in industrial and infrastructure development, and a tendency to expand investment abroad to restructure supply chains and seek new development opportunities.
For Nghe An province, attracting investment from Thailand has been a priority since the early days of the Southeast Economic Zone. This economic zone plays a leading role in attracting FDI to Nghe An, with advantages in geographical location, increasingly improved transportation infrastructure, convenient connections to seaports, the North-South expressway, and international trade routes. Currently, the Southeast Economic Zone has 9 projects from Thai investors, with a total capital of 5,460 billion VND.
The most prominent and strategically significant project in attracting Thai investment to Nghe An is the WHA Industrial Zone 1, invested by WHA Group, with a total capital of VND 2,056.5 billion, located within the Southeast Economic Zone. WHA Group is a leading Thai corporation in industrial park development, logistics, and industrial infrastructure, with experience in implementing many large-scale projects in Thailand and the region.
The WHA Industrial Zone 1 project in Nghe An, spanning nearly 500 hectares, is one of the key industrial zones within the Southeast Economic Zone. The project boasts a comprehensive and modern infrastructure system, meeting the high demands of industrial investors. Its operation has subsequently led to the development of numerous secondary projects.
As of January 2026, WHA Industrial Zone 1 had attracted numerous secondary projects with a total registered capital of approximately US$1.7 billion. The industrial park's occupancy rate is high compared to the average in the North Central region, making it a destination for many manufacturing businesses in the processing, supporting, and high-tech industries. The success of the project not only affirms the reputation of Thai investors but also enhances Nghe An's position on the industrial investment map.
Mr. Le Tien Tri, a member of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, stated: With the increasingly positive occupancy rate of WHA Industrial Zone 1, WHA Group continues to expand its investment with the WHA Industrial Zone 2 project in Nghe An, covering over 183 hectares with a total infrastructure investment of approximately 1,200 billion VND. By 2025, the project has completed all important legal procedures and is being implemented according to schedule, promising to add high-quality industrial land to the Southeast Economic Zone in the coming years.
In addition, other projects from Thailand that have come into operation include: the seafood processing and canning factory of Royal Foods Nghe An Co., Ltd., processing and preserving frozen seafood, and processing agricultural and marine products; the WHAUP Nghe An infrastructure utility project with a total capital of VND 226.9 billion; the WHAUP Nghe An infrastructure utility project phase 2 with a total capital of VND 166.6 billion by WHAUP Company; and the white limestone processing plant with a total capital of VND 107.5 billion.
Investment projects from Thailand have created tens of thousands of jobs for workers in Nghe An province.
High-tech industrial highlight
Besides developing industrial park infrastructure, investment capital from Thailand has also contributed to Nghe An's gradual access to high value-added industries. A prime example is the single-crystal silicon, silicon bar, and semiconductor wafer production plant of Runergy PV Technology in Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park, part of the Southeast Economic Zone. The project initially had a registered capital of nearly 293 million USD. After successful implementation, the company decided to adjust and increase the total investment capital to approximately 440 million USD.
By 2026, Runergy PV Technology will be one of the largest FDI projects in Nghe An province, playing a crucial role in the development of renewable energy and new materials industries. The project's continued expansion demonstrates the suitability of Nghe An's investment environment for high-tech enterprises, while also opening up opportunities for the locality to participate more deeply in the global value chain in the clean energy and semiconductor industries.
According to compiled data, by the end of 2025, Nghe An province had over 170 active FDI projects, with a total registered capital of approximately US$5.7-5.8 billion. Of these, the Southeast Economic Zone accounted for over 60% of the province's total FDI capital, continuing to play a key role in attracting foreign investment. Within the FDI structure, projects with Thai capital, particularly in industrial park infrastructure and high-tech industries, played a crucial role, creating a foundation for attracting more secondary investors from other countries.
Recently in Nghe An, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Vo Trong Hai, held a meeting with leaders of the WHA Group. The group stated that each factory could require between 20,000 and 30,000 workers, bringing the total labor demand to approximately 40,000 to 50,000 by 2026. The group requested that Nghe An province and its departments and agencies cooperate in supporting the projects regarding labor and investment procedures when necessary. Chairman Vo Trong Hai pledged to create the most favorable conditions for foreign investors, including those from Thailand.
The areas that Nghe An is currently prioritizing for investment attraction include the development of high-quality industrial park infrastructure, high-tech industries, supporting industries, logistics, and clean energy.
With the established foundation of cooperation and concrete results achieved by 2025, Nghe An has strong grounds to believe that investment flows from Thailand will continue to expand, making a positive contribution to the province's rapid and sustainable development goals in the next phase.