Thailand solar panel imports surge ahead of household scheme

Thailand's solar panel imports surged 88.7% year-on-year to US$426.7 million during the first seven months of 2026, with China supplying nearly the entire market. This surge came as the government prepared a major household solar program and amid concerns over rising electricity costs. Chinese imports accounted for 99.3% of the total, with the country supplying US$423.9 million worth of panels - up 107.1% from the same period last year.

Singapore and Hong Kong were minor suppliers, each accounting for about US$1.1 million of imports. The government plans to allocate about 50,000 baht per participating household for rooftop or ground-mounted solar installations, with an initial one million households requiring about 50 billion baht. Registration for the program is expected to begin around mid-October and continue until the end of 2027.

The government aims to have domestic factories restart production to capture more of the demand, but questions remain over how much of the coming solar panel demand can be met by local manufacturers.