On 3 February 2026, executives A SML, the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of advanced technology machinery for the semiconductor industry from the Netherlands, held discussions with the Board of Investment (BOI) of Thailand regarding collaboration strategies to build a supply chain for semiconductor manufacturing machinery in Thailand, expressing interest in transferring knowledge and technology to elevate Thai manufacturers to become suppliers in the high-tech machinery industry, which is considered the “upstream” segment of chip production.
Why ASML’s meeting with Thailand’s BOI is a strategic signal indicating that Thailand may be emerging as a new destination in the global semiconductor supply chain.
ASML is the global leader in developing lithography machines used to print circuit patterns onto wafers, a core process in producing advanced chips for smart devices including CPUs and GPUs. Currently, ASML is the only company worldwide capable of producing Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) and High-NA EUV machines, which manufacture high-performance chips at process nodes from 7 nanometers down to below 2 nanometers.
This technology makes ASML an indispensable player for leading chip manufacturers such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung, generating revenue exceeding 1.2 trillion baht in 2025, underscoring ASML’s role as the key upstream technology holder in the global semiconductor industry.
In this meeting, ASML presented its business expansion plans in the Asia region and expressed interest in expanding its supplier network in Thailand to support company growth and enhance cost competitiveness.
Currently, ASML already has key suppliers investing in Thailand and plans to increase the number of suppliers to integrate Thailand into the ecosystem of machinery manufacturing for upstream chip fabrication plants, paving the way for establishing wafer fabrication factories in the country in the future.
The core of this collaboration is not immediate establishment of ASML machinery factories but rather enhancing Thailand’s efforts in various semiconductor industry aspects, including:
Currently, Thailand hosts several capable advanced electronic component manufacturers such as SPEA, Celestica, Fabrinet, Delta Electronics, Oerlikon, Lumentum, SAM Precision, and Foxsemicon Integrated Technology (FITI) under Foxconn, which recently decided on a first-phase investment exceeding 10 billion baht to establish a production base for semiconductor manufacturing equipment parts and modules in Thailand—the fourth such factory globally.
Meanwhile, Mr. Narit Therdsteerasak, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI), stated that ASML views Thailand as a highly potential country due to its industrial base, infrastructure, workforce, and the clarity of the “Chip Made in Thailand” national semiconductor strategy. ASML has also provided recommendations and expressed readiness to collaborate with the Thai government to advance this strategy.
The interest of a world-leading upstream technology company in co-developing the supply chain in Thailand presents a significant opportunity for Thai entrepreneurs from Tier 1 to Tier 3 to enhance technology, develop human resources, and connect to the global semiconductor supply chain.
Source information BOI
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