US business delegation praises 'Let’s Go Halves Plus', eyes expansion of digital payment investment in Thailand
US business leaders commend Thailand's 'Let’s Go Halves Plus' initiative and explore opportunities for expanding digital payment investments in the country.
On October 30, 2025, in Gyeongju, South Korea, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met with representatives from the US-APEC Business Coalition and other private sector participants from major companies such as Amazon, Boeing, Citi, Coupang, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, Merck, Moody’s, PayPal, and Organon.
Following the meeting, Government Spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced that the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the US-APEC Business Coalition for organising the discussion. He highlighted this as a valuable opportunity for Thailand to engage with its long-standing economic partner, the United States, and reiterated the importance of the US private sector’s role in driving economic growth both in the Asia-Pacific region and within Thailand.
Anutin also mentioned his recent discussions with the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) and revealed that the US-ASEAN Business Council would visit Thailand next month to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The Prime Minister went on to discuss the government’s policy aimed at creating a robust economic foundation, under the concept of "Quick Big Win," to stimulate the economy and tourism, reduce household debt, support SMEs, attract new investments, and foster an innovation-driven economy. He also emphasised efforts to simplify regulations to make business operations more conducive to investors.
Furthermore, he highlighted Thailand’s efforts to expand free trade agreements (FTAs) with 24 countries across 17 agreements and ongoing negotiations with the European Union, South Korea, and Turkey. Thailand continues to play a proactive role in regional economic frameworks such as ASEAN, BIMSTEC, ACD, and APEC, with plans to join the OECD by 2030 to elevate standards in governance, transparency, and sustainability.
The Prime Minister also noted that Thailand is investing in high-quality infrastructure, particularly in logistics, digital finance, and energy to ensure energy security and support the digital economy. Projects such as Direct Power Purchase Agreements (DPPAs) are set to play a crucial role in the country’s future industrial infrastructure.
Additionally, Thailand is focusing on human capital development through skill enhancement programs, aiming to produce 280,000 highly skilled workers by 2031. This includes collaborations with leading US institutions, such as agreements between Arizona State University and Metropolitan University of Technology in the semiconductor sector.
The Prime Minister emphasised that Thailand-US economic cooperation is a fundamental pillar of the bilateral relationship between the two nations. In 2024, the United States was Thailand's top export market and its second-largest trading partner. Thailand has seen its highest level of foreign investment in the past 10 years, amounting to US$34 billion, with a large portion coming from US technology companies. At the same time, Thailand's private sector investment in the US has also steadily increased, reaching US$17 billion.
Thailand is also pleased that major US technology companies such as Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft have expanded their investments in Thailand, particularly in data centres and cloud systems. These projects are expected to enhance the country's digital economy. The Prime Minister invited US private sector companies to collaborate in developing target industries, including semiconductors, electronics, automotive parts, and the agriculture-food industry, which Thailand has high potential in and is ready to scale with advanced technology from the US.
In closing, the Prime Minister thanked the representatives of the US-APEC Business Coalition for their excellent cooperation and reiterated his confidence that the discussions would drive the growth of Thailand-US economic relations, benefiting both business sectors and citizens of both countries.
During the meeting, US business representatives also expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister, commending the government's commitment and policies on economic development, including initiatives like Let’s Go Halves Plus. They expressed their readiness to expand investments in the government's Digital Payment projects, particularly in the tourism sector, and committed to continued investment and expansion in Thailand.
