Thailand aims for OECD membership by 2030, ambition in tow
Thailand's Bid for OECD Membership: A Journey to Global Economic Excellence
Thailand is gunning for membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by 2030, aiming to align its policy frameworks with international standards, boost investments, and amplify its voice on global economic platforms. The country kicked off this ambitious endeavor in earnest with the 2025 OECD Southeast Asia Regional Forum in Bangkok last week.
Organized by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in partnership with the OECD, the forum was designed to bolster ties between OECD member states and Southeast Asian countries. The OECD, founded in 1960 with 20 founding members, has expanded its ranks to include 38 member countries. Thailand, along with Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Peru, Romania, and several others, are currently in various stages of accession talks.
Thailand and Indonesia are the first nations from Southeast Asia to initiate the proceedings for joining the OECD. During the "OECD Membership -- The Journey and the Destination" forum, Chutinthorn Gongsakdi, Secretary to the Foreign Affairs Minister, revealed that a committee steering OECD accession was established in March, with the nation setting its sights on full OECD membership by 2030.
Chutinthorn explained that the country is preparing a "Preliminary Memorandum," a self-assessment of its legal, policy, and regulatory alignment with OECD instruments, which will soon be submitted to the OECD’s technical committees for review. The accession process will then progress into a more in-depth evaluation phase covering a wide range of policy areas, eventually leading to an official opinion and a final decision by the OECD Council.
Thailand’s priorities for cooperation with the OECD include combating corruption, facilitating foreign direct investment, responsible business conduct, green transition, AI, digital economy development, and ageing society policies. The country is committed to strengthening ties with the OECD, grounded on shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and an open, transparent economy.
According to Gita Kothari, the OECD Accession Coordinator, countries undergoing accession are assessed based on governance, business practices, regulatory frameworks, tax systems, administrative capacity, and social indicators. Kothari praised Thailand’s commitment, stating that it would help maintain political momentum. She also anticipates that the technical review phase for Thailand will begin in December following the submission of the preliminary memorandum.
Thailand’s accession to the OECD represents an officially launched, multi-year technical process with various phased evaluations and reforms on the horizon. The journey began with formal OECD Council decisions and involves detailed technical dialogues with different OECD committees to identify necessary reforms and assess Thailand’s capacity to meet OECD best practices and standards.
The timeline and key milestones of Thailand's OECD accession include:
- February 2024: Thailand formally requested accession to the OECD.
- June 17, 2024: The OECD Council decided to begin accession discussions with Thailand.
- July 10, 2024: The OECD Council adopted the Roadmap for the Accession of Thailand.
- October 30, 2024: OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann publicly launched the accession process in Bangkok.
- Ambitious target: Thailand aims to become a full OECD member by 2030, allowing for a five-year reform and evaluation window following the formal start of accession discussions.
Joining the OECD would signify Thailand as the second Southeast Asian country, after Indonesia, to integrate into global economic governance, improving investment opportunities and driving sustainable economic growth and higher living standards.
- The pursuit of OECD membership by Thailand in 2030 is closely linked to finance, business, politics, and general-news, as it involves aligning policy frameworks with international standards, bolstering investments, and amplifying its voice on global economic platforms.
- The accession process for Thailand is expected to delve into various policy areas such as combating corruption, foreign direct investment, responsible business conduct, green transition, AI, digital economy development, and ageing society policies, making it a significant event in the realm of politics and business.
