CEOs speak — Anutin listens as Thailand seeks new growth path

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s government will hold a joint public-private consultation at Government House on May 15, 2026, under the theme “Entrepreneurs Speak, Government Listens”, inviting about 35 senior executives from 10 industry groups to discuss ways to strengthen Thailand’s economic competitiveness.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the forum was initiated by Anutin, who wants to hear directly from the private sector on how Thailand can respond to major global changes and reshape its economic structure through an “economy transformation” agenda aimed at improving national competitiveness.

“The forum will be open for the private sector to express its views freely. I will then summarise the key points from the meeting into priority tasks for Thailand’s economy under the new landscape, so that the country can reinvent itself and compete internationally. The proposals will also be combined with the government’s wider economic overhaul strategy,” Ekniti said.

The government’s economic strategy is designed to drive the country through several main engines, including investment, human-resource development, the green economy, artificial intelligence, education reform and public-sector reform.

Ekniti said future investment must focus on new infrastructure, such as clean energy, while laws that obstruct progress must be amended so that Thailand’s economic overhaul and competitiveness-building efforts can continue.

The forum follows an earlier meeting on May 12 between Anutin, economic and legal ministers, and executives from the Federation of Thai Industries, where the private sector raised issues including production costs, SME access to finance, infrastructure, logistics, clean energy, business-related legal changes and labour. The government has also agreed to revive the Joint Public-Private Committee as a regular platform for the FTI, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai Bankers’ Association to raise problems, propose solutions and help drive economic policy.

The meeting also comes amid warnings that Thailand’s economy faces pressure from fragile manufacturing, weak purchasing power, high SME costs, environmental trade barriers and intensifying competition. The FTI has said Thailand needs to accelerate restructuring, raise the value of manufacturing, support technology and innovation, and promote clean energy to strengthen long-term competitiveness.

Public-private mechanism to return

Ekniti said the government would use the Joint Public-Private Committee as the main mechanism to connect private-sector proposals with the national economic strategy.

He said the government was bringing back a mechanism used in the past, but would update its role to make it more modern and active.

The approach will also shift from the old model, in which the state led the process, towards closer cooperation. The private sector will take the lead in areas where it has expertise, while the government will act as a facilitator, especially in removing regulatory barriers.

Ekniti said the government planned to track progress every month and aimed to see concrete results within six months.

Middle East impact and supply chains

Prime Minister’s Office Minister Paradorn Prissananantakul said the forum would invite large companies to discuss the impact of war on supply chains and the wider business sector.

He said the meeting represented a new approach in opening Government House to entrepreneurs so they could exchange views directly with the government.

“The government wants to hear from entrepreneurs in every group. Previously, Government House opened its doors to kamnans and village heads. Today, it is the turn of large companies, and in future there may be SMEs and other groups. This is about opening space for every part of society to express their views so the government can use them in shaping guidelines and policies,” Paradorn said.

CEOs to set 12-month agenda

Government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the meeting with the private sector reflected Anutin’s working style, with the government seeking to listen, remain accessible and work with all sectors, especially the private sector, which is a key force in driving the economy.

“The Prime Minister wants to hear proposals from business leaders, including urgent tasks that must be carried out immediately, the strategic foundations for the next four years, policies or regulations that should be scrapped, direct messages to the Prime Minister, and a CEO confidence index towards the government’s ability to drive national competitiveness over the next 12 months,” she said.

The forum is expected to include Cabinet members, senior officials from all ministries and executives from 10 business sectors, including the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking, finance, agriculture and food, automotive, energy, construction and real estate, healthcare, hotels and tourism, retail and consumer goods, and technology.

Big corporate figures to attend

Business leaders expected to attend include Dhanin Chearavanont, senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group; Suphachai Chearavanont, senior vice-chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group; Sarath Ratanavadi, chief executive officer of Gulf Development Plc; and Vathit Chokwatana, managing director of Saha Pathanapibul Plc.

Executives from retail, finance, automotive, energy, construction, real estate and healthcare are also expected to join the forum. They include Suthisarn Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Central Retail Corporation Plc; Thammasak Sethaudom, president and chief executive officer of Siam Cement Plc; and Plew Trivisvavet, executive director of CH Karnchang Plc.

Other executives listed include Kongkrapan Intarajang, president and chief executive officer of PTT Plc; Supaluck Umpujh, chairwoman of The Mall Group; and Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, group chief executive officer of WHA Corporation Plc.

Anutin will also host a dinner for participants at the outer section of the Santi Maitri Building at Government House at 7pm. The reception will be handled by Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University together with Wang Suan Sunandha Hotel, allowing students to demonstrate their professional skills and the readiness of Thai educational institutions to produce quality workers for the service sector and creative economy.

FTI to propose infrastructure strategy

Pimjai Leeissaranukul, chairwoman of the Federation of Thai Industries, said the FTI would present proposals to develop Thailand’s economy and industries amid global economic challenges, with the aim of helping transform Thai industry.

“The presentation will be limited to three minutes. The FTI previously met the Prime Minister and submitted many proposals. The Prime Minister listened to all of them and agreed that we must work together to drive the economy forward and get through the current economic conditions together,” she said.

The FTI currently has 16,000 members, covering 48 industry groups and 76 provincial industry councils nationwide. More than 90% of its members are SMEs, which are a key mechanism of the Thai economy and account for around 30% of GDP, or 5.7 trillion baht.

The FTI will present six main proposals to accelerate Thailand’s economy: promoting Made in Thailand products, helping SMEs access funding, strengthening energy security, reforming laws and regulations, accelerating infrastructure investment and upgrading industrial-waste management.

It will also propose reviving the Joint Public-Private Committee as a mechanism for solving economic problems.

Made in Thailand procurement push

The FTI will ask the government to use public procurement as an important tool to stimulate the Thai economy by supporting Made in Thailand products.

It wants Made in Thailand goods to account for at least 40% of a 200-billion-baht procurement target by 2027, so that government spending circulates directly into domestic production.

The federation is also proposing a joint working group between the FTI and the Industry Ministry to connect state procurement plans with private-sector production capacity through demand-supply matching.

The aim is to upgrade the Made in Thailand scheme to make it more standardised and modern, while expanding the database of Made in Thailand products, especially construction materials, machinery and electrical equipment, to support future government investment projects.

Clean energy and Direct PPA

The FTI will also call for the draft Power Development Plan 2026 to be accelerated and implemented as soon as possible.

It will propose direct clean-power purchase agreements, or Direct PPA, within 2026, allowing the private sector and industry to access renewable energy directly in a fair and transparent manner.

The proposal also calls for suitable rules and grid-service fees to support industrial demand for clean energy at a time when Thai businesses face increasing pressure from global environmental trade measures.

The FTI will also propose restructuring electricity tariffs to reflect changing power-consumption behaviour, while accelerating investment in smart grids and battery energy storage systems to strengthen energy security and support Thailand’s long-term shift towards greater use of renewable energy.

Thailand as ASEAN bioenergy hub

The federation wants Thailand to become an ASEAN bioenergy hub and a base for green manufacturing and high-value industries, supporting a more competitive economy in a low-carbon world.

It will also propose unlocking clean-energy restrictions, reducing procedures for solar-cell installation, merging overlapping licences and setting up a one-stop service or “super licence” system to make investment easier for businesses.

The FTI will further propose accelerating water infrastructure development in the Eastern Economic Corridor to support strategic industries such as electric vehicles, semiconductors, smart electronics and data centres.

It will also support digital smart logistics to strengthen Thailand’s industrial capacity.