PATTAYA, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said Thailand’s economy is showing its first real signs of recovery after a month of intensive government stimulus measures designed to revive growth while maintaining strict fiscal discipline.
Speaking at the iBusiness Forum: Thailand Future Signal 2026, Ekniti said the government, in partnership with the private sector, has accelerated a series of short-term economic measures that have begun to generate “new economic signals.” Businesses are starting to move faster, and the country as a whole is beginning to regain momentum, he said.
“The government’s actions over the past month have helped jump-start Thailand’s economic pulse, which had weakened to the point of near collapse,” Ekniti remarked. “When we announced our policy to Parliament, the economy was like a faint heartbeat, almost flatlining. Now, thanks to our stimulus drive, we can see a clear revival.”
The government has injected nearly 100 billion baht into the economy through key initiatives such as debt repayment to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), top-ups to the state welfare card, the “Travel Thailand Again” tourism campaign, accelerated public disbursements, and the Khon La Khrueng Plus co-payment scheme.
Ekniti emphasized that these measures were financed without new borrowing, underlining the administration’s commitment to fiscal discipline even as it pushes for short-term recovery.
Thanks to these interventions, Thailand’s economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 is now projected to reach 1.1%, up from an earlier forecast of only 0.3%, he said.
The finance minister also highlighted a second encouraging signal — the relocation of global production bases amid rising geopolitical tensions. Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, is increasingly being seen as a safe and attractive destination for new investments.
According to the Board of Investment (BOI), foreign investment promotion applications in Thailand recently hit a record high, accounting for about 90% of total projects, with growth of nearly 30% year-on-year. Most applications came from sectors such as modern agriculture, data centers, advanced electronics, semiconductors, electric and hybrid vehicles, and wellness centers.
However, Ekniti acknowledged that roughly 470 billion baht worth of approved investment projects remain “stuck in the pipeline” due to regulatory and legal barriers. To address this, the government plans to launch a “Fast Pass” program to fast-track approvals and unlock pending investments, while Deputy Prime Minister Bowornsak Uwanno has been tasked with leading a legal “guillotine” effort to remove outdated regulations that impede long-term economic efficiency.
“In terms of economic signals, we can now clearly see a revival,” Ekniti concluded. “The challenge is how to ensure that this recovery continues sustainably over the long term, despite fiscal constraints and a limited timeframe. Our approach is to design policies that deliver short-term stimulus with long-term impact — widely distributed and grounded in strong fiscal discipline.”
