PM praises Thailand's 10th ranking in Power Index

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was pleased with the 10th ranking of Thailand in the Asia Power Index 2023, said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri on Saturday.

Quoting the premier, he said the ranking reflects Thailand's standing in the international community. The Asia Power Index measures a nation's resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in Asia, and is presented by the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank whose research focuses on international politics and the economy.

Mr Anucha said Thailand was rated against 26 countries and territories to calculate the relative power of states in Asia. First to ninth on the list were the United States, China, Japan, India, Russia, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and Indonesia.

Defined by economic capability, military capability, resilience, future resources, economic relationships, defence networks, diplomatic influence and cultural influence, Mr Anucha said Thailand's best indicators of its power index are its economic relationships and future resources.

Also, the country's potential has improved, despite it underperforming during the pandemic, Mr Anucha said, adding the country still holds more power in the region than expected.

"Gen Prayut says the power index list reflects Thailand's credit in the global community. The success is a result of the government and its affiliates who have made many efforts to improve the country's capacity," he added.

Mr Anucha said the government has been preparing for growth including incoming investments, as Thailand is positioned as a prominent economy in the region.