Thailand becomes Southeast Asia's top printed circuit board manufacturer for AI

Thailand has climbed to fifth place globally in printed circuit board manufacturing, claiming the top spot in Southeast Asia as factories race to supply the infrastructure that keeps artificial intelligence systems running.

WellTek Electronics will produce more than 1 million square metres of PCBs from its Ayutthaya facility this year alone, according to founder Jennifer Deng, who launched the Thai subsidiary of China's Jiangxi Welgao Electronics two years ago. The US$75 million plant, completed in under a year, is the first of two the company plans to build in the province.

The invisible backbone of AI

While semiconductors dominate headlines in the technology supply-chain race, PCBs perform the unglamorous work that makes advanced chips functional. These copper-laced panels sit inside every mobile phone, car key fob, digital camera and data-centre server rack, channelling signals through arrays of semiconductors, resistors and capacitors. "They are essential to our daily life. They are in all electronics you are using," Deng said.

Without printed circuit boards, even the most sophisticated AI chip cannot process a single line of code. The technology is often described as the nervous system of modern electronics.

Industrial transformation in Ayutthaya

The production boost positions Thailand to capture a larger share of the AI infrastructure market as global demand surges. Ayutthaya, historically a stronghold for Japanese carmakers and international electronics manufacturers, is now being retooled for the artificial intelligence era. WellTek's rapid expansion, a full factory built in less than twelve months, signals the speed at which Southeast Asian manufacturing hubs are adapting to serve next-generation technology.

The shift matters because AI data centres require exponentially more hardware than conventional computing, creating fresh opportunities for countries that can scale production quickly and reliably.

Source: South China Morning Post