Finance Minister

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...