Thailand must use OECD push to rebuild investor trust, Anutin says

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand must use its push to join the OECD to rebuild international confidence, attract strategic foreign investment and show the world that the country is moving towards higher standards of transparency, regulation and governance.

Speaking at Nation TV’s 26th anniversary event at the Nation building on Thursday (June 4), Anutin said the government’s urgent priority was to strengthen the Thai economy and position the country for new opportunities in a changing global landscape.

Thailand no longer seen only as low-cost labour base

Anutin said Thailand was well prepared in terms of technology, resources and infrastructure, adding that many foreign leaders he had met had shown strong interest in investing in the country.

He said investors were no longer looking at Thailand only through the old image of cheap labour or low wages. Instead, Thailand was increasingly being viewed as a strategic location at a time when geopolitical shifts were reshaping global investment flows.

The prime minister said this created a major economic opportunity for Thailand, as many countries still had confidence in its potential.

“Today, there is a word — resilience — which means the ability to recover. But this recovery is not just about survival; it means being able to run forward immediately. That is the condition of Thailand and the Thai economy now,” Anutin said.

OECD accession framed as economic credibility reset

Anutin said Thailand’s bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, was central to the government’s economic agenda.

He said Thailand must not fall behind other countries that are upgrading their development standards, adding that OECD accession would help push the country towards stronger rules on transparency, public procurement, tax policy, information disclosure and regulatory reform.

The OECD said Thailand’s submission of its Initial Memorandum in December 2025 launched the technical phase of the accession process, which involves reviewing Thailand’s laws, policies and practices against OECD standards.

The OECD has also said Thailand’s accession process involves in-depth evaluation by technical committees on the country’s alignment with OECD standards, policies and practices.

Government pledges to work with private sector

Anutin said the government had been working with the private sector and listening to business operators on how the state could help improve their competitiveness.

He said the government was considering ways to strengthen financial capacity, improve the financial system and promote greater liberalisation where possible.

The aim, he said, was to make Thailand more attractive to investors by lowering business barriers, improving credibility and ensuring that companies operate under internationally accepted rules.

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has also said OECD accession would help improve the country’s competitiveness, support high-quality investment and strengthen rules in areas including good governance and transparency.

Anutin says global trust will lower business costs

The prime minister said higher international confidence would help improve Thailand’s credit standing and make financing costs more appropriate for businesses.

He added that stronger credibility would not only support foreign investment, but also help the tourism sector by improving the country’s image among international visitors.

Anutin said the government was already taking care of domestic priorities, including welfare, people’s livelihoods, public consultation and wider participation in policy-making.

However, he said Thailand also needed to ensure that the international community viewed the country as a reliable place to create business opportunities.

OECD membership would change Thailand’s image, PM says

Anutin said OECD membership would allow people to see Thailand in a new light and help protect the country from accusations that it lacked transparency, scrutiny or progress.

“When Thailand becomes an OECD member, people will see Thailand in new dimensions,” he said. “No one will be able to point a finger at Thailand and say it is a dishonest country, a country without scrutiny, an undeveloped country or a country moving backwards.”

He said OECD membership would serve as recognition that other member countries had accepted Thailand’s standards, strengthening the country’s position in the global economy.