Thailand leads ASEAN in concluding digital economy framework deal

Thailand has announced a major success as chair of the DEFA Negotiating Committee, leading ASEAN to conclude negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).

The agreement is now expected to be signed during the ASEAN Summit later this year, positioning the region to become a global digital economy hub.

Suphajee Suthumpun, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, said negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement had been concluded at the 57th ASEAN Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting, 2nd session, held in Manila, the Philippines, from May 27-29, 2026.

Thailand, as chair of the DEFA Negotiating Committee (DEFA NC), played a leading role in driving the negotiations and coordinating the positions of ASEAN member states until the agreement was successfully reached.

She said this marked an important step in laying the foundation for the region’s digital economy. The next stage will be legal scrubbing to prepare the agreement for official signing at the ASEAN Summit in November 2026.

Suphajee said Thailand had worked closely with all ASEAN member states after being entrusted with chairing the DEFA NC, helping drive negotiations and build consensus.

She said the success of the talks, which covered complex issues related to the future digital economy, not only reflected Thailand’s leading role on the international economic stage, but also demonstrated ASEAN’s ability to jointly set high-standard regional digital economy rules.

These rules are designed to respond to the rapidly changing global economic landscape and strengthen confidence in global digital trade and investment.

DEFA is not merely an ASEAN digital economy agreement, she said, but a new set of rules that will help upgrade the region’s digital business environment.

It will allow cross-border trade and investment to flow more smoothly, reduce costs and increase efficiency by linking digital systems among member states so they can operate together effectively, or achieve interoperability.

This will create new opportunities for businesses across the region, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, or MSMEs, by giving them greater access to markets, technology and innovation.

At the same time, DEFA will lay the foundation for ASEAN’s digital economy to grow securely and credibly through cooperation on cyber security, consumer protection, anti-online fraud measures and readiness for future technologies such as artificial intelligence, or AI.

These measures are intended to help ASEAN compete in the global digital economy.

DEFA is the world’s first regional digital economy agreement among ASEAN member states. Formal negotiations began in 2023 and were successfully concluded in 2026.

The achievement marks another important milestone that reinforces Thailand’s role as a leader in driving the region’s digital economy agenda.

Studies indicate that DEFA could help push ASEAN’s digital economy value to US$2 trillion by 2030, while elevating the region into a connected, comprehensive and sustainable digital economy hub on the global stage.