Thailand proposes ASEAN CHIPS Act to strengthen regional semiconductor industry - Vietnam+ (VietnamPlus)

Thailand has proposed the ASEAN CHIPS Act at the 22nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-22) to foster a unified regional semiconductor ecosystem and enhance ASEAN... Read original →

Thailand’s ASEAN CHIPS Act signals a strategic pivot from passive manufacturing absorption to active technological sovereignty. It will catalyze regional localization of EUV-dependent sub-3nm process development and materials science, amplified by the EECi synchrotron facility enabling cross-sector innovation in semiconductors, biomedicine, and agri-chips. However, absent harmonized export controls, ASEAN firms risk dual compliance burdens from U.S.-Dutch equipment restrictions and U.S.-China tech decoupling. TSMC (Taiwan, China) and Samsung may accelerate backend investments in Vietnam and Malaysia as hedges, while mainland Chinese mature-node players could leverage ASEAN workforce programs to address mid-tier talent gaps. Within 18 months, without a unified IP framework and fab standard reciprocity via the proposed Semiconductor Council, the initiative risks devolving into infrastructure rivalry rather than genuine ecosystem integration.