Thailand Gears Up to Host IMF-World Bank Meetings 2026
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered all government agencies to finalize preparations for hosting the IMF‑World Bank Annual Meetings 2026, scheduled for Oct. 12‑18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. The event aims to boost confidence, attract trade, investment and tourism, and deliver tangible economic benefits to the Thai people. Detailed plans include visa facilitation, a series of high‑level programmes, and forums on digital transformation, climate resilience and green finance.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as Minister of Interior, chaired the third meeting of the National Committee for the IMF‑World Bank preparations (3/2569) and reported that all agencies are being ordered to speed up final readiness. He instructed that every detail — substance, protocol, safety, public health, facilitation, public relations and overall management — be handled thoroughly so Thailand can welcome participants from around the world and showcase its economic, infrastructural, service, technological, cultural and event‑organizing capabilities.
Anutin stressed that hosting the conference must go beyond merely organizing the event; it should turn the arrival of global leaders and representatives into an economic opportunity for the country. This includes building confidence, expanding trade and investment, increasing revenue for businesses and services, and using the platform to promote Thailand’s strengths internationally to create added economic value that reaches the public.
He also ordered rapid resolution of any obstacles that could impede attendees’ travel, especially visa procedures for foreign participants, assigning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to streamline and expedite visa facilitation before the meetings begin.
Key dates include: October 12 – opening of the Thailand Pavilion at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre; October 14 – the Prime Minister hosts a dinner reception at Government House; October 15 – a Thai cultural identity performance; October 16 – the plenary session of World Bank governors and the IMF at the convention centre.
Thailand will conduct high‑level activities under the theme “Thailand’s New Horizons: Empowering People, Building Resilience.” The program will present the country’s direction through four main pillars: digital and AI transition for inclusive and flexible growth; the role of a middle‑sized nation in a multipolar world; new architecture to address climate change; and promoting an economy that supports an aging society amid demographic shifts.
Additional forums will cover “Building Resilience in a Fragmented World,” discussing economic resilience in a polarized world, and “Financing a Resilient Green Economy,” focusing on financial mechanisms to support green‑economy initiatives, climate‑change adaptation, and increased access to funding for businesses, communities and households.
