On June 18, 2026, at 4:30 PM, at the Press Conference Room, 1st Floor, Parliament Building, Mr. Chris Potranandana, Spokesperson for the Standing Committee on Finance, Banking and Financial Institutions and Financial Markets, along with the committee, held a press conference recommending the use of parliamentary mechanisms to propose a roadmap motion to achieve OECD membership by 2028.
Mr. Chris Potranandana, Committee Spokesperson, stated that today the committee invited relevant agencies to provide information regarding Thailand’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The OECD is a group of high-income and developed countries, such as Canada, the United States, Chile, Israel, Turkey, Australia, Japan, Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These are developed nations where citizens enjoy a high quality of life. Thailand aspires to reach that level and is currently in the process of applying for OECD membership. Upon joining, the benefits include receiving consultations from government agencies of member countries to establish domestic legal standards. This will bring Thai laws in line with international standards, providing a platform for information exchange, statistical databases, and knowledge resources. Joining the OECD will lead to structural reforms across multiple dimensions, aligning national standards with international ones and enhancing Thailand’s global competitiveness. It will provide access to global economic data, helping Thailand escape the middle-income trap. Ultimately, it will build a positive image, promote Thailand’s role on the global stage, attract foreign investment, improve services, and increase competition in various sectors. Furthermore, it will liberalize the economy to attract foreign capital. Today, the public, private, and civil sectors all wish to join this group; however, there are legal procedures that must be followed.
Ms. Nattida Lekudakorn, Committee Spokesperson, added that the OECD membership process consists of 10 steps. Thailand has completed steps 1 through 5, which involve the application and initial assessment. Currently, Thailand is at step 6, which is the technical review conducted in collaboration with all 25 OECD committees.
Subsequently, the OECD committees will evaluate and provide recommendations regarding Thailand’s laws, policies, and practices to ensure they align with OECD standards.
Ms. Kanjanaporn Jirapunwanich, Committee Spokesperson, concluded that the committee meeting today emphasized not waiting for government agencies to amend laws through standard processes before bringing them to Parliament. Such an approach would fail to meet the 2028 membership goal. Instead, a top-down approach should be adopted by maximizing existing parliamentary mechanisms. This involves proposing a roadmap motion for OECD membership by 2028, approving the principles first, and then amending the laws later. Finally, she reiterated that the committee and all political parties agree that OECD membership is a significant opportunity. If Thailand can catch this ‘express train,’ it will be a golden opportunity for the country to become a high-income nation.
Story and Photos: Public Relations Bureau, Office of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives