IMF

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...

When Thailand hosted its first IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in 1991, the economy was growing at 8.1%, with an A- S&P rating. Fast forward to now, thirty-five years later, the meetings have returned to Bangkok, but the landscape is vastly different.   Key Point   Market Sentiment Rises, but Continuity Is Key Asia W...

Richard Quest is in Bangkok for the inaugural Asia edition of CNN’s Global Perspectives. Before our sit-down, he spent the morning interviewing Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank. As we sat down, he told me a good interview is like ballroom dancing. He paused to ask whether I did any ballroom dancing myself (I don’t), then pr...

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 ...

We’re coming off an incredibly busy week here in Bangkok, with the 2026 IMF-World Bank Meetings ending this weekend and the CNN Global Perspective chapter in Bangkok running concurrently.   On the side, it must have been one of Bangkok’s most heavily caffeinated weeks. Throughout the week, I saw meeting rooms, hotel lobbies and dinner ta...

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 ...