While examining increasing globalization of the Thai economy, international investment has also offered another force to explain its links to Thailand’s international trade. For instance, the recent trend of Thailand’s foreign direct investment (FDI) is not very different from that of exports. Due to the global financial crisis, FDI has fluctuated, declining by 15.0% in 2011 before a recovery of 10.6% in 2012, or around $8.6 billion (Figure 9). This suggests that it has become more difficult for Thailand to rely on external funding and investment as other emerging countries and regions are also looking to attract FDI given the limited funds available worldwide.