Thailand is committed to building forward better in a post-pandemic world that has been exacerbated by the global shock in food supply caused by the war in Ukraine and the ongoing climate crisis. Before the pandemic, UNESCAP (2019) estimated that to meet the SDGs, Thailand would require around THB 1.27 trillion (US$ 40.9 billion) in additional annual investment from 2020 to 2030, equivalent to 50 baht per person per day. To this end, Thailand’s upcoming 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan for 2023-2027 prioritizes achieving high-value, eco-friendly economy, society of opportunities and equality, sustainable way of life, and strengthening enabling factors for transformation. 

Against this backdrop, the Map has identified fifteen investment opportunities in eight SDG-related sectors that can boost the implementation of the National Economic and Social Development Plan. The sectors are: Food & Beverages, Renewable Resources & Alternative Energy, Health Services, Transportation, Financials, Infrastructure, Services and Education. Over 80% of these investment opportunities address productivity issues and over half leverage technology to bridge the digital divide. Almost all the opportunities focus on benefiting vulnerable communities.

The Thailand Map, which joins 19 other country SDG Investor Maps housed on the SDG Investor Platform, has been developed by deploying a vigorous research methodology and a highly consultative approach.  It highlights investor sentiment in subsectors and broad opportunity areas, while also suggesting viable business models that can be supported.

Private sector investors who are looking to invest sustainably can use the Map to explore the investment opportunities, given their alignment to Thailand’s SDG gaps and needs and the governments’ development priorities - thereby strengthening the potential for sustainable development.

UNDP’s SDG Impact Standards were also introduced to the Thai market at the launch event. These are independent and global management standards that guide businesses and investors in their decisions to optimize interrelated economic, social and environmental impacts. 

Mr. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Minister of Finance, stated, “As we all know, achieving the SDGs requires significant investment, and the current level of investment by the government alone is not enough to meet the ambitious targets. We need to unlock the new source of finance, especially from the private sector. And the Thailand SDG Investor  Map could help facilitate this by providing investors with localized insights into market conditions, highlighting SDG investment opportunity areas as well as the expected development impact of such investments.”

Ms. Ruenvadee Suwanmongkol, Secretary-General, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Thailand, said: “The SEC is very pleased to collaborate with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the creation of the Thailand SDG Investor Map. This is one of the initiatives following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) early this year. Increasingly, all sectors are paying more attention to the business trend that focuses on environmental, social and governance responsibilities. A business with a clear policy on contributing to positive social impacts will be able to earn more credibility and subsequently more opportunities to create sustainable business growth. This is when the Thailand SDG Investor Map (the Map) comes in as it helps raise investment demands that give equal weight to financial returns and sustainable economic and social development. Meanwhile,  on the supply side, the Map helps promote businesses’ awareness and implementation of sustainability.  In a longer term, the Map will help build a sustainable capital market ecosystem in accordance with the SEC Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and the 20-year National Strategy. This will also promote the Thai capital market as a mechanism for driving the country towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

Mr. Renaud Meyer, Resident Representative, UNDP Thailand, added, “UNDP is pleased to partner with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand to lead the development of the Thailand SDG Investor Map. The SDG Investor Map complements the work UNDP is undertaking with the Government of Thailand to formulate an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF), fostering a more holistic, public and private, approach to financing national sustainable development. We hope that the Map will guide investors and stimulate SDGs aligned investments, thereby boosting the implementation of the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan, while also accelerating Thailand’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with a specific focus on the most vulnerable.”

Ms. Dawn Chan, CEO of CIIP, shared, “The Centre for Impact Investing and Practices was set up by Temasek Trust with the belief that impact investing would spur solutions to address the challenges that our world is facing today. We are pleased to be SDG Impact's anchor partner in Asia, and to be able to contribute towards providing investors and businesses in Asia with clarity, insights and tools to support their contribution towards achieving the SDGs. The launch of the Thailand SDG Investor Map is timely, and the critical data presented in the map will help investors make data-driven decisions and drive sustainable investment in Thailand, enabling a strong recovery from the pandemic.” 

Ms. Fabienne Michaux, Director of SDG Impact, concluded, “Thailand is a great example of a country who is seizing the opportunity to build forward better by placing sustainability at the centre of development. Using the market intelligence from the Thailand SDG Investor Map to know where to target sustainable investment coupled with the SDG Impact Standards to know how business and investments can be conducted sustainably, will help push forward the achievement of the 2030 SDG Agenda, which is increasingly becoming more urgent.” She added, “We are thrilled to have worked with the Security and Exchange Commission of Thailand, UNDP Thailand and our long-term partner, Temasek Trust to bring the Thailand SDG Investor Map to fruition”.

Following the launch of the Map, UNDP Thailand, its partners and Temasek Trust will roll-out events that bring together investors, investees and policymakers. The aim is to create opportunities for dialogue and collaboration to ensure these parties utilize the full benefits of the Map’s intelligence and the SDG Impact Standards to build a more resilient future.