On 4 May 2026, H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Chairman of the Advisory Board to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, together with H.E. Mrs. Suphajee Suthumpun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, led the Team Thailand delegation, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), and the Thai private sector led by Dr. Poj Aramwattananon, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, to attend the opening ceremony of the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026, hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, Maryland. The Honourable Mr. Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing that the U.S. welcomes foreign investment and reaffirms readiness to support and facilitate investment in key sectors across the country, such as energy, semiconductors, and critical minerals.

The purpose is to further scale up the Thai - U.S. economic partnership and enhance business and investment opportunities for the Thai private sector in the U.S. The Chairman of the Advisory Board met with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to advance close economic partnership between the two countries for mutual benefit, including investment cooperation, which has seen a steady increase in Thailand’s investment in the U.S., currently totalling approximately 19 billion USD. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce welcomed the investment of the Thai private sector and expressed his personal regards for Thailand.

Following the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Advisory Board, together with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce and the Thai delegation, met with H.E. Mr. David L. Fogel, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, Global Markets. The U.S. Assistant Secretary expressed appreciation for the Thai delegation’s presence at the SelectUSA Investment Summit this year, as well as Thailand’s investment, which helps support economic growth and job creation in the United States. In addition, the Chairman of the Advisory Board led a delegation of the Thai private sector to visit the investment promotion exhibition and engage with representatives from various states across the U.S., particularly those with existing investments by the Thai private sector and potential investment opportunities for Thai businesses, in order to strengthen ties and networks for future cooperation opportunities.