BANGKOK, Thailand – Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Vitai Ratanakorn says Thailand must turn the international confidence generated by hosting the 2026 IMF–World Bank Group Annual Meetings into tangible investment and trade to deliver lasting economic benefits.
Vitai said the high-profile gathering helped strengthen foreign perceptions of Thailand, giving international delegates, business leaders and media representatives a closer look at the country’s capabilities and development.
The meetings also offered opportunities to showcase Thailand’s infrastructure, including its urban rail networks, modern buildings and transport systems, helping reshape perceptions among international opinion leaders and the media. The influx of delegates and their visits to tourist attractions also provided some benefits for the tourism sector, he said.
However, Vitai stressed that the event’s real value would depend on Thailand’s ability to convert greater international awareness and confidence into actual investment and commercial activity.
He said stronger trade and investment would be essential to generating meaningful benefits for Thai exports and the wider economy, rather than allowing the meetings’ impact to remain limited to improved visibility and short-term tourism spending.
