The head of the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) has set out the details of key International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meetings to be held in Thailand in 2026, a prestigious economic and financial event.
On Oct 15, representatives of the Finance Ministry, Bank of Thailand, the World Bank and the IMF jointly signed a memorandum of understanding for Thailand to serve as host of the 2026 annual meetings for the board of governors of the IMF and World Bank.
Thailand previously hosted these annual meetings in 1991.
"At these meetings, the theme will be determined according to critical development issues facing the global economy," said Pornchai Thiraveja, director-general of the FPO.
"Thailand will get an opportunity to propose interesting topics for the meeting to consider."
In addition, the meetings are an opportunity for Thailand to showcase the country's hospitality and capacity to host world-class international events, as well as to promote Thai soft power globally, he said.
The meeting is expected to draw around 12,000 attendees, including finance ministers and central bank governors of the IMF's 190 member countries, as well as executives from international financial institutions and organisations.
Working groups will be set up in both the public and private sectors to collaborate on preparation for the event, said Mr Pornchai.
"As the host of the 2026 annual meetings, Thailand will assume a leading role in driving and facilitating the global policy agenda and dialogues, while also strengthening international cooperation by providing a platform to discuss the state of the global economy and issues of international concern, share policy experiences, and foster global monetary cooperation for sustainable economic growth and development around the world," said Chayawadee Chai-anant, the Bank of Thailand's assistant governor in the corporate relations group.
She said this is Thailand's second stint as host for the annual joint meeting, putting the country on a select list with Turkey and Japan.
Over the past decade, the themes of the meetings have focused on green development, sustainable development goals, and global financial stability.