Thai Finance Vice-Minister Santitarn Sathirathai expects Thailand’s bid for membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to succeed within two years, the Bangkok Post reported, as reviews continue.
Sathirathai said Bangkok’s hosting of the Oct. 12-18 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group Annual Meetings raised Thailand’s international profile and could add momentum to its bid. He put registrations at 19,000, or 27% above the target.
Thailand’s government had set a goal of joining the OECD by 2028 in a July 7 statement, before the meetings took place. The OECD has set no deadline for completing the country’s accession process.
The OECD opened accession talks with Thailand in June 2024. In December 2025, Thailand delivered an assessment of its own laws and policies; 25 OECD committees are now conducting technical reviews. Their opinions will inform a later decision by member countries.
Speaking in Bangkok on Oct. 14, OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann identified competition, investment, education and public governance as areas under review. He said the process could support changes aimed at improving productivity and skills.
The OECD has said accession can strengthen investor confidence and expand opportunities for Thai people. Its accession roadmap requires Thailand to cover the costs of the process.
Sathirathai also said the government plans to use recommendations from the financial meetings to simplify procedures and improve Thai workers’ skills, according to the Bangkok Post. Those plans are separate from the OECD’s committee reviews.
Thailand previously hosted the annual meetings in 1991, according to the IMF. This year’s gathering took place while the OECD review was underway.
The next accession milestones are the committees’ opinions and a unanimous OECD Council decision on whether to invite Thailand. An invitation would still need to be followed by an accession agreement and Thailand’s domestic procedures before membership takes effect. No date has been set for the decision.
