Thai Chamber of Commerce presents six proposals for economic reform
The 2026 white paper calls for lower business costs, new growth sectors and wider regional opportunities, targeting annual growth of no less than 3%.
- The proposals call for cutting business costs through deregulation and lower energy prices, while also addressing household debt to revive the domestic economy.
- A key focus is creating new growth by strengthening seven promising sectors, including tourism, agriculture, and automotive, and shifting farming from production to value-added goods.
- The Chamber advocates for accelerating international trade by pursuing new agreements with partners like the US, EU, and UAE, and improving investor confidence through anti-corruption measures.
- The plan also aims to ensure inclusive growth by developing the economies of all five regions, strengthening the grassroots economy, and reducing inequality.
Dr Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, said the 44th nationwide chamber of commerce seminar had concluded.
The event took place in Chiang Rai province from Friday (November 13, 2026) to Saturday (November 14, 2026), under the theme “Unlocking New Growth”, highlighting new growth potential.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce summarised the seminar’s conclusions and submitted its “White Paper 2026” to the government.
Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt accepted the document on the prime minister’s behalf.
The white paper brings together private-sector policy proposals from the central level and five regions to accelerate efforts to address structural constraints, strengthen competitiveness and create new sources of economic growth.
Thailand’s economy is at a critical turning point, with growth expected to reach only 2.4–2.6% in 2026.
Its long-term growth potential is also on a downward trend because of structural problems, including an ageing population, high household debt and slow productivity growth.
However, Thailand still has opportunities arising from new investment.
Urgent action is needed to turn those opportunities into actual investment and ensure the benefits reach Thai businesses and the domestic economy.
The 2026 white paper sets out six key proposals:
1. Cutting costs, reviving the economy and spreading growth
The first proposal calls for urgent action to reduce costs, including reforms to laws and approval and licensing procedures that hinder businesses.
It also calls for lower energy, logistics and financing costs, alongside efforts to address household debt and generate income.
This includes promoting area-based economic development projects to extend opportunities to small businesses, secondary provinces and border economic areas.
2. Creating new sources of growth through 7 Reinvent Thailand
The second proposal focuses on strengthening seven promising sectors: agriculture and food processing; automotive; health and wellness; retail and trade; smart electronics; tourism; and the creative economy.
It calls for cooperation between government, business, academia and the financial sector.
The proposal also calls for developing infrastructure, digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), energy and the financial system.
It targets annual economic growth of no less than 3% and an increase in investment to no less than 30% of gross domestic product (GDP).
3. Shifting Thai agriculture and food from a focus on production to adding value
The third proposal calls for reforming the agricultural sector as a whole to raise productivity, reduce costs and improve farmers’ incomes.
It focuses on developing key agricultural and food products, including jasmine rice, milk, shrimp and pet food, while promoting modern agricultural technology and machinery.
This includes advancing the Thailand Food Valley Model and removing constraints relating to investment sites to increase product value and competitiveness.
4. Promoting Zero Corruption, transparency and investment confidence
The fourth proposal combines systematic anti-corruption efforts with reforms to public administration, approval and licensing procedures, and public procurement.
It also promotes Digital Government.
It calls for higher governance standards aligned with the guidelines of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to reduce hidden economic costs, promote fair competition and strengthen long-term investor confidence.
5. Accelerating international trade and opening new markets
The fifth proposal calls for accelerating efforts to expand international trade, open new markets and increase opportunities for Thai businesses through the Team Thailand+ approach.
It focuses on advancing trade cooperation under four key strategic frameworks:
- The Thailand–United States Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART).
- A free trade agreement (FTA) between Thailand and the European Union (EU).
- A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- Economic cooperation between Thailand and Russia.
The proposals also call for pursuing an FTA between Thailand and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to expand export markets, strengthen the security of supplies of raw materials and production inputs, and make Thai products more competitive globally.
6. Developing all five regions and ensuring inclusive growth
The sixth proposal aims to develop the economies of all five regions and ensure inclusive access to growth opportunities.
It would use the nationwide chamber of commerce network to advance area-based development and improve goods and services in line with each region’s potential and identity.
It also calls for innovation to add value, infrastructure development and improved workforce skills to strengthen the grassroots economy, reduce inequality and distribute the benefits of economic growth in a balanced and sustainable way.
Poj said the six proposals reflected a shared private-sector view of the direction Thailand’s economy should take.
The priority was to turn policy proposals into action through sustained cooperation between the public and private sectors.
This would involve clearly identifying the responsible agencies and setting clear performance indicators to ensure that the benefits of economic development reach small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), farmers, workers and people in every region.
