Thailand's Board of Investment Wednesday approved a series of stimulus measures, including tax exemptions, to help encourage investment and boost the struggling economy.

The BOI said in a statement that incentives launched last November - including an eight-year exemption on corporate tax for some industries - would be extended until 2014.

BOI Secretary-General Atchaka Sibunruang Brimble said they also approved measures that would encourage manufacturers to improve efficiency, increase investment in advanced technologies, and cut energy consumption.

The BOI said it continues to have confidence in Thailand's fundamentals, and that applications for investment totaled THB180 billion ($4.9 billion) in January and February.