Thailand

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...

The Financial Times brought its Business of Luxury Summit Asia Edition to Bangkok this week, gathering leading names in hospitality, wellness, beauty and fashion at Capella Bangkok on the banks of the Chao Phraya.   Key Point   Asia’s Luxury Demand: People Want to Feel Good Hospitality and the Luxury of Experience Th...

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...

“History is never about remembering dates, places, and names,” says   Here Wit Sittivaekin, commentator, media personality, and, of course, co-host of THE STANDARD’s Morning Wealth. A well-versed history buff, he also hosts the 8 Minute History podcast under THE STANDARD’s umbrella of shows.   “If you’re only taught to remembe...

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...