HSBC Thailand aims to increase its new Chinese corporate clients by 50 companies annually over the next few years in response to the strong growth of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand.
According to Giorgio Gamba, chief executive and head of banking at HSBC Thailand, Chinese FDI in Southeast Asia and Thailand has continued to expand and is expected to maintain a positive outlook.
Thailand remains a key regional destination for Chinese investment across a range of sectors, including smart electronics, digital technology, data centres, artificial intelligence (AI), automobiles and auto parts, as well as clean energy, he noted.
"We have onboarded several hundred Chinese corporate and institutional clients over the past few years. Given the positive trend, we aim to add 50 new Chinese clients each year over the next few years," Mr Gamba said.
To capitalise on this trend, HSBC Thailand launched the "China META Team", a 17-member Mandarin-speaking specialist unit designed to provide end-to-end support for Chinese business investment in Thailand. Services include relationship management, legal advisory, risk management, and a full range of financial solutions.
In addition, HSBC implemented a dedicated US$4 billion sustainability and transition credit facility to support the global expansion of mainland Chinese companies investing in clean power, data centres, electric vehicles and AI.
Given the flow of Chinese FDI into Thailand, the bank plans to leverage this financial programme to expand its loan portfolio. HSBC also wants to grow its other financial services, including transaction banking, trade finance, cash management, and risk management solutions.
Mr Gamba acknowledged competition in this segment is intensifying among local banks, Chinese banks operating in Thailand, and global financial institutions. As a result, offering products and services that effectively meet customer needs and clear differentiation are more important than capital strength alone in attracting clients, he noted.
According to HSBC Thailand, Chinese investment in Thailand has more than tripled since 2016, rising from $16 billion to $58 billion. Net realised FDI from China tallied 412 billion baht over the past three years.
Thailand is positioning itself as a strategic gateway for Chinese companies seeking expansion into Southeast Asia. Despite global trade uncertainties, FDI flows into the region have remained resilient, accounting for 14.5% of global FDI.
Thai GDP grew by 2.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, supported in part by rising global investment.
Data from the Thai Board of Investment registered investment promotion applications in the first quarter exceeding 1 trillion baht, increasing 2.4 times year-on-year. Data centres and cloud services accounted for 86% of the total investment value, driven by accelerating demand for AI computing capacity.
