South East Asia (SEA), 2026

August 24, 2026: One of the biggest Silicon Manufacturers in the World, Tokuyama Corporation is putting new Factories in Vietnam and Malaysia

One of the largest Manufacturers of Silicon in the World right now, the Japanese Company Tokuyama Corporation is adding new Factories outside of Japan in Vietnam and Malaysia. The Company produces Polysilicon which is a Critical Component in the manufacture of Electronic Products. 

They recently inaugurated a $60 million Factory in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam which is expected to start Operations by next Year of 2027. Once operational, the Factory will be able to produce as much as 4,000 tons of Polysilicon per Year.

They are also expected to finish by next Year a bigger Facility in Malaysia which is worth $300 million. Both these overseas Factories will be crucial in the coming Years as Tokuyama expects the Demand for their Products to continue to rise, and they are already planning to expand the capacities of both Plants at a later Date.

SOURCE: Japanese Firm to make Chip Material in Vietnam, Malaysia {Archived Link}

July 20, 2026: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia now provides 12% of Printed Circuit Boards Worldwide, Combined Sales to reach $13 billion this Year

The Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) recently said that Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia now are responsible for producing around 12% of all Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) in the World, and that this Year of 2026 their combined Sales is expected to reach around $13.4 billion. 

PCBs are Boards with conductive Pathways where Electronic Components are welded to, and they are present in all Electronic Devices such as Computers, Smartphones, etc. Thailand is currently the largest PCB Manufacturer in South East Asia (SEA) and their Sales for this Year is expected to reach $6 billion, which is a 20% increase compared to last Year of 2025. 

Vietnam is the next largest PCB Manufacturer in SEA, with Sales of this Year expected to reach almost $5 billion, an increase of around 18% compared to last Year. Malaysia is next with PCB Sales expected to reach $2.4 billion for an increase of 15% compared to last Year. 

SOURCE: AI and Geopolitics Twin Engines Ignite: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia PCB Output to Surpass $13 Billion Next Year {Archived Link}

July 7, 2026: Philippines again left behind in 2025 as Foreign Investors chose to invest in other South East Asian Countries instead

The Philippines last Year of 2025 was again left behind by the Investment Boom that has been sweeping most of the other Countries in South East Asia (SEA) according to the 2026 World Investment Report that was released recently by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 

The Philippines only received around $9 billion worth of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in 2025 which is almost 17 times lower than that of Singapore which received $151 billion worth of FDIs last Year. 

Indonesia ($21.44 billion), Vietnam ($20.35 billion) and Thailand ($19.1 billion) had more than twice more FDIs than the Philippines while Malaysia at $15.4 billion had more than 1 1/2 times more. This shows that Foreign Investors actively chose to invest more in other SEA Countries than in the Philippines. 

SOURCE: Philippines left behind as $244 billion in Foreign Capital floods Southeast Asia {Archived Link}

March 21, 2026: Vietnam now the preferred Destination of Investors from the EU in SEA; Also received 3.5x more FDIs than Thailand

Chris Humphrey, the Executive Director of the "European Union (EU)-Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Council" recently told a major Newspaper in Thailand that European Countries are now increasingly favoring Vietnam for future Investments than other Countries in South East Asia (SEA).

This he said is according to “Sentiment Surveys” conducted by the Council, which also pointed out that Vietnam’s extensive Network of Trade Agreements, among other Things, has given it a clear Advantage over the other SEA Countries including Thailand.

In comparison, Thailand last Year of 2025 received a five-Year high Usd 10.4 billion in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) from all other Countries, but Vietnam received more than three and a half times that Figure with Usd 38.42 billion for the same Year.  

SOURCE: Vietnam, not Thailand, preferred by European Investors in ASEAN {Archived Link}

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