Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul returned from high-level engagements at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju, South Korea, declaring that the kingdom is poised to become the economic centre of the region.

He underscored that the framework established during meetings with fifteen world leaders, three international organisations and more than twenty leading global companies would yield concrete benefits for Thai citizens.

The government has identified four strategic pillars to anchor this ambition: food security, logistics, the digital economy and the green economy.

A key accomplishment of the mission was an agreement with China to increase imports of Thai rice by five hundred thousand tonnes, complemented by commitments to promote Thai tourism in the Chinese market.

In labour and tourism sectors, progress was made on expanding quotas for Thai workers in South Korea and enhancing tourism collaboration with Canada.

Market-access advances followed discussions with Singapore on rice trade, review talks concerning the ASEAN–India free-trade agreement, and new investment partnerships with Brunei in halal food, wellness tourism and high-tech.

The prime minister also highlighted the growing partnership with the United States, China, Canada, South Korea and Australia in confronting transnational crime — positioning Thailand not only as a commercial hub but as a reliable partner in regional security.

He affirmed that all engagements were conducted on the basis of transparency and Thai law, and expressed confidence that the resulting collaborations will drive a secure and sustainable improvement in living standards for all Thais.

With this diplomatic momentum aligning trade, investment and innovation, Thailand—through its Eastern Economic Corridor infrastructure and a vision for the Bio-Circular-Green economy—seeks to consolidate its status as the gateway to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.