ECONOMY

Thailand will soon see the completion of one of the country’s largest corporate deals in recent history, as the country’s largest petrochemical entities are poised to merge their Thai olefins and polyolefins businesses.   Key Point   Combined Titans of Industry Looking Past The Potential JV   SCG Chemicals ...

Thailand’s cabinet has officially greenlit a 50 billion baht household solar-subsidy program as part of the government’s nationwide push towards a shift to clean energy.   Key Point   What Should Households Consider?     The program, designed to help 1 million Thai households cut energy costs and gradual...

Numbers released today by the Director-General of Thailand’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) showed the country’s trade deficit widened to $5.86 billion in September, up 50.4 percent year-on-year, while exports grew 24 percent to $38.44 billion.   Key Point   Worth Thinking About:     Exports rem...

This past week, the world’s leaders, policymakers, and investors gathered in Bangkok for the 2026 IMF-World Bank meetings, marking the first time in 35 years the city has hosted the meetings at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNC), the same venue used in 1991.   Key Point   Bangkok’s Week on The Global Stage ...

For decades, Thailand has been seen as a fun country to visit, like visiting a good-time friend. During a sit-down with THE STANDARD, Vice Minister of Finance Dr. Santitarn Sathirathai says this perception is starting to shift.   Key Point   Thailand’s Post-AI Boom Path Investors Will Watch Thailand’s Infrastructure Inv...

Thailand, in partnership with the IMF and World Bank, unveiled its flagship ‘Bangkok Blueprint’ on the third day of the annual meetings in Bangkok.   The ‘Bangkok Blueprint for Fraud-Resilient Financial Services’ is a global framework that helps countries detect and respond swiftly to the growing threat of cyber fraud across digital fina...

In an exclusive interview with THE STANDARD, Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, discussed the importance of prioritizing jobs for young people amid rapid technological acceleration and the AI boom.   Key Point   IMF World Economic Outlook 2026 Thailand’s GDP forecast raised to 2.1% Thailand’s path towards...

The 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings officially began today, 12 October, with Bangkok hosting for the first time since 1991. Thirty-five years later, the landscape is vastly different, as the world navigates a more volatile geopolitical backdrop, challenging macroeconomic conditions, and, arguably, the biggest threat of all: the rapid rise of ar...

Bangkok is gearing up to play host to the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings from 12–18 October, one of the biggest gatherings of global economic policymakers and the figures who shape the world economy. As host for the first time since 1991, Thailand is looking to capture global investors' attention as it seeks to supercharge its economy and open new ...