OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann publicly launched the process of Thailand's accession to the OECD in Bangkok today, formally handing over the Roadmap for accession by the second largest economy in Southeast Asia.
The OECD Council adopted the Roadmap for the Accession of Thailand on 10 July 2024, following the decision to begin accession discussions with Thailand on 17 June. Following Indonesia, Thailand became the second accession country from Southeast Asia, one of the most dynamic growth regions in the world.
Participating in an OECD Country Programme since 2018, Thailand has been actively engaged with the OECD, increasingly participating in OECD bodies, selected databases and adhering to a number of OECD legal instruments. As co-chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) from 2018 to 2022, Thailand promoted policy dialogues and good practice sharing among policymakers in OECD countries and the region, with the aim of developing common solutions to regional and global policy challenges.
“Beginning the accession process is the next step in the longstanding partnership between the OECD and Thailand,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. “OECD accession has a positive transformative impact on a country’s reform trajectory. Intensive technical reviews and in-depth assessments by the OECD Committees will support Thailand's ambitious reform agenda to become a high-income country by 2037, benefitting Thai people in many ways – from creating opportunities for skill development to increasing investment attractiveness. At the same time, Thailand can bring significant value to the OECD’s policy discussions with unique perspectives based on its own experience, challenges and successes.”
Accession Roadmaps set out the terms, conditions and process for an individual country’s accession to the OECD, reflecting priority areas identified by OECD Members. The process includes a rigorous and in-depth evaluation by 26 technical committees of Thailand’s alignment with OECD standards, policies and practices.
The technical reviews will cover almost every area of public policy, including open trade and investment, public governance, integrity and anti-corruption efforts, as well as the effective protection of the environment and action on climate.
As a result of these technical reviews, committees may recommend changes to Thailand’s legislation, policy and practices to bring them further into line with OECD standards and best practices, thus serving as a powerful catalyst for reform and contributing to Thailand’s own domestic reform agenda.
There is no deadline for completion of an accession process. The outcome and timeline depend on the pace at which each candidate country adapts and adjusts to further align with the Organisation’s standards and best practices. Once all the technical committees have completed their reviews, a final decision is taken by OECD Member countries in order to extend an invitation for Membership.
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