Anutin pushes job skills, global business ties at CNN forum
At CNN’s Bangkok forum, PM Anutin calls for partnerships to prepare people for new jobs and connect Thai businesses of all sizes with global markets.
- At the CNN Global Perspectives forum on October 14, Prime Minister Anutin called for preparing the Thai workforce with skills needed for new and emerging forms of work.
- He emphasized the need to connect Thai businesses of all sizes with regional and global economic opportunities.
- Anutin stressed that achieving these development goals requires cooperation between the government, businesses, and international institutions, not just government action alone.
- The forum's focus on job skills aligns with Thailand's theme for the 2026 IMF and World Bank meetings: "Empowering People, Building Resilience".
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called for cooperation to prepare people in Thailand for new forms of work and connect businesses of all sizes with regional and global opportunities as he opened CNN Global Perspectives: In Bangkok on October 14, 2026.
In opening remarks, Anutin welcomed international participants and thanked CNN for choosing Thailand to host a forum examining the economy, investment policy and how economic decisions affect people’s everyday lives.
The CNN event coincides with the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, which Thailand is hosting in Bangkok from October 12–18. The forum brings together leaders and participants from different sectors to exchange perspectives on changes in the global economy.
Anutin puts future job skills and business access on agenda
Anutin identified two priorities for discussion: equipping people with the skills needed for emerging forms of work and helping businesses of every size participate in new economic opportunities.
Thailand’s host-country theme for the annual meetings is “Thailand’s New Horizons: Empowering People, Building Resilience”. The theme emphasises helping people develop the capabilities to adapt to and participate in change, alongside creating conditions for businesses to grow and ensuring economic opportunities reach more people.
Anutin called for discussions that translate those priorities into practical ideas and options that participants can pursue together.
Anutin calls for cooperation beyond government
Anutin stressed that achieving Thailand’s development goals requires contributions from businesses, international institutions and communities, as well as government. Their different experiences and ideas could help turn shared objectives into concrete results.
Thailand is ready to work with partners that can strengthen skills, introduce new knowledge and connect Thai people and businesses with opportunities in regional and global markets, Anutin added.
Anutin described the CNN forum as an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives and consider how economic choices shape daily life. He expressed the hope that those exchanges would produce workable approaches to the challenges under discussion.
Anutin closed by encouraging participants to exchange ideas, build connections and experience Bangkok’s culture, food and atmosphere during their visit.
CNN’s first Asian edition brings together global speakers
CNN’s Bangkok speaker line-up included European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde and World Trade Organization director-general Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Other speakers included Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s managing director for Asia Pacific, and Maggie Kang, the Academy Award-winning creator and co-director of the animated film KPop Demon Hunters.
Thai representatives attending the forum included Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan, alongside senior CNN executives and figures from finance, business, technology and the creative industries.
The CNN forum’s discussions cover the forces shaping economies, communication and everyday life, including consumer trends, leadership and people’s ability to adapt to change.
