PM accelerates development of defence industry, championing Made in Thailand to transform the country into a high-technology manufacturer, create jobs, reduce import dependency, drive exports, and build economic security for the nation.
Miss Rachada Thanadirek, Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul places great importance on elevating Thailand's defence industry, with a focus on pushing the country to transition from being a procurer to becoming a developer and manufacturer of its own security technology. The Prime Minister also supports the use of domestically produced, Made in Thailand products so that defence spending circulates back into the Thai economy, creating jobs, developing human resources, and enhancing the capabilities of Thai entrepreneurs.
The Prime Minister's Office Spokesperson said the Prime Minister has been continuously monitoring progress on defence industry operations. Most recently, he received a report on the results of the THAIDEF-EX 2026 exhibition, held from 8–10 July 2026, which was a great success. The event featured 112 booths from Thai entrepreneurs, attracted more than 4,000 visitors, and generated more than 53 business-matching partnerships, representing an economic value of no less than 500 million baht. This reflects that Thailand's defence industry is moving toward becoming a value-added industry in terms of technology, investment, and exports.
The Prime Minister has therefore directed relevant agencies to urgently build on the successes of the event and translate them into practical applications — particularly supporting research and development of technology, weaponry, and innovations produced by Thais — while urging the armed forces and security agencies to increasingly consider choosing domestically produced products. This is intended to create opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs to grow and enter the global defence industry supply chain.
In terms of implementation, the Ministry of Defence has been driving this policy in concrete terms. Defence Minister General Adun Boonthamnjaroen has ordered units under the Ministry of Defence and all armed service branches to consider choosing Made in Thailand products, alongside implementing an Offset Policy for imported military equipment and establishing Local Content requirements for domestically incurred costs, in order to increase technology transfer, elevate Thai industry, and develop engineers and innovators with the potential to support the industries of the future.
Miss Rachada further stated that the government's intentions also extend to international cooperation. During the Defence Minister's official visit to Malaysia on 13–14 July, both countries discussed expanding cooperation in the defence industry, including supply chain linkages, technology exchanges, and joint capability development.
In addition, both sides are preparing to build on cooperation from the First Win wheeled armoured vehicle production project, as well as exploring opportunities for aircraft maintenance cooperation with Malaysia's AIROD company, in order to enhance the capabilities of Thai entrepreneurs, connect technologies, and expand opportunities in overseas markets.
Regarding cooperation in the next phase, Thailand and Malaysia have also agreed to push for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation during the Thailand–Malaysia General Border Committee (GBC) meeting later this year, in order to lay the foundation for long-term joint cooperation on research, technology development, and defence industry development.
Furthermore, Miss Rachada continued, a defence industry MOU has been signed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), together with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Industry. The goal is to ensure that research and development of security technology outputs — both for military use and dual-use purposes — lead to actual production and real-world deployment for national security, both for public benefit and commercial purposes, raising the competitiveness of the private sector, reducing imports, and promoting advanced technology industries.
"The government does not view the defence industry solely through the lens of security — it is one of the high-technology industries capable of generating innovation, producing quality human resources, and creating economic opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs. Supporting the armed forces to use Made in Thailand products alongside expanding cooperation with neighbouring countries will help money circulate within the country, increase self-reliance, and build toward a high-value export industry in the future — simultaneously strengthening both national security and economic resilience," said Miss Rachada.
