Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Wednesday held talks with the founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Klaus Schwab, with approaches to promote Thai soft power included in the conversation, according to the Thai government.
Paetongtarn said that the WEF and Thailand are long-standing partners, and both sides are ready to expand more cooperation for mutual benefits.
The dialogue took place as the Thai PM is joining the 55th WEF, which is being held under the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age” from January 20 to 24 in Davos in Switzerland.
According to the Thai government, Schwab, who doubles as chairman of the WEF's board of trustees, said that he viewed the ASEAN nation as having good potential while expressing intent to have more collaborations, especially in the fields of innovations concerning agriculture and food.
The pair also discussed the possibilities of hosting WEF events in Thailand, namely its Special Meeting in 2026, Young Global Leaders’ Summit, and other related meetings this year, the Thai government said.
Schwab was also invited to be a keynote speaker in the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) High-level Conference on Global Architecture slated to be held in May of this year in Phuket.
ACD is a pan-Asian cooperation framework founded in 2002 with 18 countries. It aims to consolidate Asian strengths and fortify Asia's competitiveness by maximising the diversity and rich resources in Asia.
Paetongtarn and Schwab met each other once during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Laos, in October last year.