On 12 November 2024, H.E. Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand, met with Mr. Irving Tan, Executive Vice President and CEO-designate of Western Digital, in Los Angeles to discuss investment opportunities in Thailand. H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Ambassador of Thailand to the United States, were also present.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed Western Digital’s latest investment expansion of 23.5 billion baht (696 million USD) in manufacturing hard disk drives (HDDs) in Thailand, which will contribute to developing Thailand's digital economy, while also promoting procurement of local materials. The investment expansion is in line with the Government’s vision to advance high-technology industries, particularly HDDs, the key components for cloud storage and data center services, which are important to advancing the digital ecosystem. On this occasion, both sides discussed potential collaboration on accelerating advanced technology, promoting renewable energy and sustainability, upskilling the workforce, as well as moving up value chain through more research and development cooperation for industries of the future.

Western Digital, a global leader in electronics, has been investing in Thailand since 2001 and is currently the country’s largest electronics exporter.