Thailand has been praised by global financial leaders for successfully hosting the 2026 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok from 12 to 18 October.

Government Spokesperson Ekkapob Pianpises stated that Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director, hailed Thailand for its great success and high efficiency, adding that all participants greatly benefited from the meetings. Meanwhile, Mr. Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance of Saudi Arabia and Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), pointed out that Thailand’s high standards have set a benchmark that will be a tough challenge for the next host of the Annual Meetings.

Mr. Ekkapob credited the success to all Thai people, noting that everyone – from government officials, entrepreneurs, and service providers to the business sector, local communities, and the general public – collaborated to welcome nearly 20,000 participants from 191 countries. Thai culture, cuisine, local products, and cultural capital, such as Muay Thai, were successfully showcased alongside the nation's economic potential. 

He emphasized that Thailand has gained far more than simply a strong reputation for hosting successful events; it has built trust and fostered cooperative networks that directly connect with and benefit people's lives. This success will also provide opportunities for all. 

Mr. Ekkapob noted that the world views Thailand not merely as a country that hosts the Annual Meetings exceptionally well, since the IMF stated that today’s Thailand is vastly different from 35 years ago. Now it stands also as a nation with a strong manufacturing sector, a part of the AI supply chain, and one offering its own proposals to the world regarding digital financial security and the use of technology to create opportunities for the people.

In addition to macroeconomic issues, the discussions also covered topics directly linked to the public. They include, for instance, cooperation with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to study water management and early warning systems in the Chao Phraya – Pasak River Basin, and the development of Green Hospitals and hospitals to support an aging society, as well as the implementation of "Small AI" in agriculture to calculate planting schedules and fertilizer use, aimed at increasing efficiency and boosting farmers' income.

Furthermore, Mr. Ekkapob said, Thailand has also been recognized by the IMF for pushing forward the Bangkok Blueprint to tackle cross-border financial fraud, while Thai agencies' experience in tokenization and distributed ledger technology was highlighted in financial stability forums, aiming to broaden the public's access to investment opportunities through their savings.