Georgieva to Thailand: 'You Showed Us the Very Best of Your Country'

 

From a royal barge replica to a song sung with the prime minister, the IMF chief and the IMFC chair praise Thailand's hospitality and progress.

 

Asked what had stood out during a week of meetings, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva had no shortage of praise for her hosts. Thailand, she said, had shown the world what good policies and a welcoming spirit can achieve.

 

Responding to a question from a Thai journalist at the closing press briefing on Saturday (October 17), Georgieva congratulated Thailand on "incredibly successful" hosting of the 2026 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings.

 

The environment in which delegates meet matters, she said, and this one had been "highly productive".

 

"The whole world benefits from the generous hosting of Thailand," she said.

 

 

A very different country

Georgieva made two points. The first was that Thailand is a returning host: it welcomed the meetings 35 years ago, but the country the delegates found this time is very different.

 

She described it as dynamic, with strong manufacturing capacity and integration into the global AI supply chain, and "a vibrancy that is visible any place we go".

 

"That shows that countries can lift up the opportunities for their people with good policies, with strong institutions," she said. "Thailand is a demonstration of it."

 

Her second point was about people. Thailand, she said, had communicated "the moral strength of a society that is kind" and "incredibly welcoming".

 

Delegates who arrived "a bit edgy" had been helped into "the Thai mood". Then she added, to laughter in the room, "Your prime minister is a great saxophone player."

 

 

 

A song, a barge and the King's wisdom

In her opening remarks, Georgieva had returned to the theme of cultural exchange. Thai hosts, she said, "gifted us a song", which she and the prime minister sang together the night before.

 

Throughout the week, delegates also met under a large replica of the royal barge, which she called a reminder that everyone is "in the same boat".

 

"You welcomed us. You shared your incredible culture with us. And you showed us the very best of your beautiful country," she told the Thai people.

 

She said they had also helped delegates take home the wisdom of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

 

"Benefits and positive outcomes do not arise on their own," she said, quoting him. "Rather, they must be gradually cultivated, accumulated and strengthened over time."

 

She said the Fund would carry that message back to Washington to inspire its staff. Georgieva also thanked Thai authorities for "impeccable organisation" and singled out the Bangkok Blueprint, a Thai-led step towards a safe, inclusive and responsible framework for digital finance, as a notable outcome of the week.

 

 

 

'You raised the bar so high'

Mohammed Aljaadan, chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee and Saudi Arabia's finance minister, joined in.

 

Between the last hosting and now, he said, much had changed, but one thing had not: Thailand remains "the land of smiles", with people who are "really kind and welcoming".

 

He then offered a humorous warning to future hosts.

 

"You are causing so much trouble to those who will host after you, because you raised the bar so high," he said. "Whoever is going to host next will have a big challenge to meet."

 

Georgieva closed the briefing with an announcement. The Thai prime minister, she said, had told the plenary the day before, "We hosted you 35 years ago. We host you now. You're welcome to come in 35 years." Her reply drew applause: "Your invitation is accepted."