Ekniti opens first day in Davos, leads “Team Thailand” talks with Big Tech and World Bank
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas begins his WEF Davos 2026 mission with meetings with World Bank President Ajay Banga and senior executives from AWS, Microsoft, TikTok and HCL Technologies to deepen investment and digital-AI cooperation.
DAVOS, Switzerland, January 19, 2026 — Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, began his first day at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 by leading a Thai delegation and senior executives from Thailand’s private sector in discussions with the World Bank and top global technology companies.
The meetings aimed to highlight Thailand’s role on the global stage, expand economic and investment cooperation, reinforce the country’s readiness as a key regional investment base, and support future industries.
Ekniti led public and private-sector representatives in talks with Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, to exchange views on the global economic outlook and cooperation to support Thailand’s economic development, the transition to a low-carbon society, and the creation of quality jobs at home. They also discussed Thailand’s preparations to host the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in October 2026.
He also met Mirek Dusek, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, and John Dutton, Head of WEF’s Uplink initiative. The discussions focused on connecting innovation networks—particularly startups—supporting next-generation entrepreneurs to access global investment opportunities, and advancing cooperation on sustainability and ESG, which is gaining prominence across the global private sector.
Talks with global technology leaders
Ekniti also held discussions with senior executives from leading global technology firms to accelerate investment and strengthen cooperation on the digital economy, AI, and digital skills development for Thai businesses and workers:
1. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS, a global cloud provider, has announced a long-term investment plan in Thailand worth more than 150 billion baht over 15 years, and has received investment promotion for data-centre operations. The first phase involves more than 24.8 billion baht, and three data centres in Thailand are already in service. Talks covered AWS participation in the Thai government’s Cloud First programme, and Thailand also asked AWS to deepen cooperation with Thai educational institutions to produce more specialised engineers in data centre engineering.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft, a leader in cloud and AI, announced plans in 2024 to invest in data centres and cloud services in Thailand. It has already begun joint investments with several Thai companies and has partnerships with multiple government agencies, including the digital ministry, to build digital and AI skills among Thai personnel and students. Discussions also covered support for adopting cloud services across government systems to improve efficiency.
3. TikTok
TikTok has a long-term investment plan in Thailand worth a total of more than 270 billion baht, with more than 30 billion baht already invested in the first phase. The platform has worked with several government agencies on online safety awareness and on strengthening Thai SMEs’ ability to use the platform to develop their businesses and grow online sales. Discussions also explored potential expansion into wider activities, such as establishing a regional content hub.
4. HCL Technologies
HCL Technologies, an India-based IT and software services company and one of the world’s fastest-growing firms in its sector, specialises in helping organisations undertake digital transformation. Talks covered technology trends and digital investment directions, as well as opportunities to expand cooperation to strengthen Thailand’s digital ecosystem—particularly the use of cloud and AI to improve efficiency in the public sector, agriculture and manufacturing. They also discussed workforce upskilling to align Thai talent with the needs of modern industries.
The government said Thailand’s participation in WEF Davos this year is intended to connect networks and pursue a more proactive approach with global economic decision-makers, with the goal of developing concrete cooperation projects and implementable investments. It also aims to reaffirm that Thailand is well placed as a stable long-term business base and an effective gateway to high-potential Asian markets.
