The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General Mathias Cormann has publicly launched the process of Thailand’s accession to the OECD in Bangkok on 30 October 2024.

The OECD Council adopted the Roadmap for the Accession of Thailand on 10 July 2024, following the decision to begin accession discussions with Thailand on 17 June 2024.

Following Indonesia, Thailand became the second accession country from Southeast Asia, one of the most dynamic growth regions in the world.

Participating in an OECD Country Programme since 2018, Thailand has been actively engaged with the OECD, increasingly participating in OECD bodies, selected databases and adhering to a number of OECD legal instruments.

As co-chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) from 2018 to 2022, Thailand promoted policy dialogues and good practice sharing among policymakers in OECD countries and the region, with the aim of developing common solutions to regional and global policy challenges.

Accession Roadmaps set out the terms, conditions and process for an individual country’s accession to the OECD, reflecting priority areas identified by OECD Members. The process includes a rigorous and in-depth evaluation by 26 technical committees of Thailand’s alignment with OECD standards, policies and practices.

The technical reviews will cover almost every area of public policy, including open trade and investment, public governance, integrity and anti-corruption efforts, as well as the effective protection of the environment and action on climate.

As a result of these technical reviews, committees may recommend changes to Thailand’s legislation, policy and practices to bring them further into line with OECD standards and best practices, thus serving as a powerful catalyst for reform and contributing to Thailand’s own domestic reform agenda.

There is no deadline for completion of an accession process. The outcome and timeline depend on the pace at which each candidate country adapts and adjusts to further align with the Organisation’s standards and best practices.

Once all the technical committees have completed their reviews, a final decision is taken by OECD Member countries in order to extend an invitation for Membership.