Thailand secures Grade A rating ahead of IMF-World Bank meetings

Thailand has received a “Grade A” assessment from the World Bank for its readiness to host the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, with Bangkok preparing to welcome an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 participants from around the world in October.

The meetings will take place from October 12-18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, which is being prepared to accommodate one of the world’s most important gatherings of financial policymakers, central bankers and international institutions.

Vinit Visessuvanapoom, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO), explained on Thursday (May 28) that Thailand was working closely with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to prepare for the event.

The Cabinet has approved Friday, October 16, as a special government holiday to support the main plenary session, when delegates from all participating countries are expected to gather at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

Global finance leaders to gather in Bangkok

The event will bring together finance ministers from 191 World Bank member countries and central bank governors from 189 IMF member countries.

When officials, support teams, accompanying delegations and other related participants are included, Thailand expects the total number of visitors linked to the meetings to reach between 15,000 and 20,000.

According to Vinit, Thailand received a “Grade A” rating from the World Bank for venue readiness, based on 26 assessment areas. Progress is being monitored weekly in close coordination with the World Bank to ensure the venue can support both the main meetings and smaller sessions for different groups of delegates.

The Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre will be reconfigured to include additional meeting rooms and small office spaces for group discussions and related work.

Thailand has also designated 21 official hotels for the event, with capacity for around 4,000 participants. These hotels are now fully booked, and demand is expected to spread to nearby accommodation.

Thailand to promote ‘Empowering People, Building Resilience’

As host, Thailand will use the meetings to present two key themes: “Empowering People” and “Building Resilience”.

Vinit noted that “Empowering People” would focus on preparing Thais to cope with major shifts such as artificial intelligence and the impact of an ageing society.

“Building Resilience” will highlight the need for countries to recover quickly from crises and adapt to rapid change, including energy-related disruptions.

Youth participation among key highlights

A major highlight of the event will be the involvement of Thai youth through the “Fiscal Policy Designer” project, which invites upper secondary and university students to compete in designing economic policy.

Winners of the competition will receive the opportunity to attend the global meetings, a rare experience as Thailand hosts the event for the first time in 35 years.

Young volunteers will also be recruited to help support participants, including by serving in guide-like roles at museums.

Night museums and Thai culture to feature

Thailand also plans to use the meetings to promote culture and tourism. Since delegates will attend meetings during the day, organisers are preparing a “Night Museum” programme that will allow visitors to explore Thai cultural attractions in the evening and avoid the daytime heat.

Many participants are also expected to travel to key tourist destinations such as Chiang Mai and Phuket before and after the meetings.

Thai food and cultural elements will be woven into the event to give international visitors a broader experience of the country.

Hosting role to project Thailand’s strengths

Vinit stressed that the meetings are being organised on a non-profit basis. Thailand’s main goal is not simply to generate tourism spending from tens of thousands of visitors over one week, but to use the global spotlight to showcase the country’s capacity, readiness and role as a leader in ASEAN.

The meetings are also expected to draw major investors, global funds and credit rating agencies to Thailand. Many are likely to use the gathering to assess the economic situation and hold side meetings on finance and investment.

Vinit added that these engagements would help strengthen confidence, deepen international relationships and support Thailand’s economy over the longer term.