Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a case study of Thailand's emerging bioeconomy as of 2017. It examines the government's strategy to transition from commodity exports to high-value bio-based products, the roles of the private sector and state, and the socio-economic implications for smallholder farmers.

• Thailand's bioeconomy strategy focuses on adding value to existing world-leading commodities, specifically sugarcane and cassava, rather than expanding the cultivation area of these crops.
• The Thai bioeconomy is characterized by a top-down institutional structure where the private sector drives the agenda and innovation, while the government acts as a facilitator providing financial, regulatory, and human capacity support.
• To attract investment, the Thai government and Board of Investment (BOI) offer 'privileged' incentives, including 0% import tax on foreign equipment and corporate income tax exemptions for up to eight years.
• The government announced a three-phase 'bioeconomy scheme' starting in 2017 to attract 400 billion THB in investment, with projects centered in Rayong province within the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
• Thailand's bioenergy targets under the Alternative Energy Development Plan 2015 aim to increase the share of biofuel energy in total renewable and alternative fuel use from 7% to 25% by 2036.
• The Dutch company Corbion operates the world's largest lactic acid factory in Thailand, producing 120,000 tons annually for use in food processing and the production of over 25,000 tons of bioplastics.
• There is a significant gap between the government's top-down approach to aggregating smallholder farmers into SMEs and the actual culture of farmer networks, which rely on peer-to-peer social media support.
• The authors argue that the push to organize smallholders into cooperatives is primarily intended to secure raw materials for industrial needs rather than to promote rural transformation or social equity.

APA

Fielding, M., & Aung, M. T. (2018). Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf

Chicago

Fielding, Matthew, and May Thazin Aung. Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2018. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fielding |first1=Matthew |last2=Aung |first2=May Thazin |title=Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=March 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fielding2018bioeconomy, author = {Fielding, Matthew and Aung, May Thazin}, title = {{Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }