Bangkok Summit Aims to Restructure Thai Economy Ahead of IMF Meetings

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas will follow with a policy address on "Unlocking the Next Growth Engines for Thailand & ASEAN." He plans to lay out reform steps aimed at unlocking private-sector investment and naming new economic engines, according to the organizers. Deputy Prime Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat, who oversees higher education, science, research and innovation, will address positioning Thailand as a regional investment platform for high-tech industries.

Mr. Payong Srivanich, the JSCCIB chairman, said the event is designed to answer how Thailand can turn global shifts and its central location in ASEAN into new opportunities for investment and job creation. "The Bangkok Business Summit 2026 is not merely a platform for exchanging perspectives, but a venue where Thailand presents its concrete strengths, opportunities, and development directions to the global business community," he said in a statement.

The event's closing session will feature leaders from the three JSCCIB member organizations summarizing what they describe as actionable proposals – covering competitiveness, investment ecosystems, and future industries – that are meant to convert the day's insights into concrete practices. The summit will conclude with the signing of a Letter of Intent for Cooperation on the Digital & AI Compact between Thailand's economic agencies and the World Bank.

The October IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok will be the first time Thailand has hosted the gatherings. The country is also set to take the ASEAN chair in 2028.