On Thursday, December 7, 2023, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) organized a workshop on “Raising Awareness of Thailand’s Membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Session 1” for government agencies at the Renaissance Bangkok Hotel. The workshop aimed to create knowledge and understanding about the importance and process of OECD membership, with Mr. Wanchat Suwannakitti, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Economic and Social Development Council serving as the speaker and moderator. Representatives from more than 40 government agencies and media organizations participated.
This workshop was the first official awareness-raising initiative for government agencies. The Deputy Secretary-General discussed the overview and key aspects of OECD membership, including the benefits and impacts if Thailand were to become a member in the future. The benefits Thailand would receive may include multi-dimensional structural reforms and international standard equivalency, enhanced competitiveness and market access opportunities to member countries, access to diverse global economic databases, advisory and technical assistance from the OECD, and improved image and promotion of Thailand’s role on the global stage. This was followed by a panel discussion among representatives from government agencies and the private sector on the topic “Direction for Driving Thailand Toward OECD Membership” with key discussion points including (1) The role of the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in driving Thailand’s OECD membership by Mr. Cherdchai Chaivaivit, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs, (2) Private sector perspectives on OECD membership and issues the private sector wants the government to address by Mr. Pairat Boonyachaisri, Vice President of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and (3) Aligning Thailand’s standards with OECD standards and becoming a party to OECD legal instruments by Mr. Naran Pothipattanachai, Senior Expert Legislative Lawyer. This important information will help government agencies become aware and take action to respond to the Thai government’s commitment to become an OECD member in the future, to elevate Thailand’s operational standards in all dimensions to align with OECD standards and international equivalency, which will help promote structural reforms, increase trade and investment opportunities, and ensure Thailand does not fall behind global standards.
At the end of the meeting, participants were given the opportunity to exchange views on Thailand’s OECD membership. The meeting raised questions related to membership in economic, social, legal, and regulatory aspects, such as the impacts and preparation of reservations from becoming a party to OECD legal instruments, upgrading Thailand’s status in OECD committees to increase the level of participation intensity, Thailand’s action plan for membership in the next phase, regional participation, and promoting partnership cooperation between the Thai private sector and OECD member countries. Mr. Tiyarat Niamkoh-Pet-Gader, an OECD official, joined via video conference to provide information and share OECD’s perspective on Thailand, including support for Thailand to become a party to OECD legal instruments, which is an important issue that the OECD uses to consider membership and serves as empirical evidence demonstrating Thailand’s efforts and commitment to align domestic standards with OECD standards.
On this occasion, the Deputy Secretary-General of NESDC also emphasized key issues in driving Thailand’s OECD membership, which must begin with (1)
Progress on Thailand’s OECD membership can be followed at bit.ly/45OiXLG
