On 3 - 4 June 2026, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, led Team Thailand to attend the 2026 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Paris, France. The Thai delegation included the Vice Minister for Commerce, the Vice Minister for Finance, and the Thai Trade Representative. Thailand’s participation was aimed to strengthen its engagement with the OECD and support Thailand’s ongoing OECD accession process.

This year’s MCM was held under the overarching theme “Getting Industrial Policies Right for Open Markets, Growth and Prosperity”, with Finland as Chair and the Republic of Korea and New Zealand as Vice-Chairs. The meeting provided an opportunity for participants to exchange views on the design of modern industrial policies that can support economic growth, innovation, digital and clean energy transitions, and supply chain resilience, while upholding an open, fair, transparent, and rules-based trade and investment system.

On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister delivered Thailand’s statement at the Plenary Session on “Balancing the Goals and Impacts of Industrial Policy.” He underscored that modern industrial policy should serve as an important tool to support comprehensive economic transformation, including in the areas of innovation, human capital development, green transition, and regional economic integration. At the same time, such policy should avoid measures that distort markets or create obstacles to international trade and investment.

In addition, H.E. Mr. Sarun Charoensuwan, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, delivered a statement on “Investing in Sustainable Growth”, emphasizing the importance of promoting investment for sustainable growth through technology and innovation development, green investment, and the use of market-based mechanisms and sustainable financing instruments. The Vice Ministers for Commerce and Finance also contributed to discussions on regulatory frameworks for competition and competitiveness, free and fair trade, and fiscal sustainability.

During the MCM, the Deputy Prime Minister also held bilateral meetings with H.E. Mr. Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD; H.E. Ms. Velislava Petrova-Chamova, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria; H.E. Mr. Ville Tavio, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland; and H.E. Mr. Horii Iwao, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. All sides expressed support for Thailand’s OECD accession process and agreed to further enhance cooperation between Thailand and the OECD across various areas.

The MCM also provided an opportunity to strengthen Thailand’s engagement with seven other OECD accession candidate countries, namely Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Indonesia, through side events organized by the OECD to exchange experiences on advancing the accession process. Key issues discussed included the importance of strong domestic coordination mechanisms, whole-of-society participation, effective public communication, and sustained political support.

Thailand’s participation in the 2026 OECD MCM reflects its strong commitment to enhancing its role in the international economic arena and advancing its OECD accession process in a concrete manner, in line with the target of becoming a member by 2028. Thailand views the accession process as an important mechanism to drive national reform, raise standards in the areas of the economy, investment, good governance, transparency, and competitiveness, as well as generate long-term concrete benefits for the Thai people and society.