Bangkok: The World Bank indicates that the Thai economy remains strong in ASEAN; the government is accelerating the implementation of the Economic and Social Development Council (ESDC) mechanism to provide new impetus.
According to Thai News Agency, World Bank data indicates Thailand still has a strong economic base in ASEAN, with Gross National Income (GNI) projected to increase by nearly $50 billion by 2025. The government is accelerating the implementation of the Economic and Social Development Council (ESDC) mechanism to provide new impetus.
Today, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the World Bank has recently reported data on the GNI of various countries, including Thailand and ASEAN member states. This report shows that Thailand remains among the countries with a strong economic base in the region.
GNI represents the total income earned by citizens and businesses in a country, generated from employment, production, business operations, and domestic and foreign investment. Therefore, it is an important piece of data commonly used to assess a country's level of development and reflects the size of the overall economic income.
According to World Bank data, Thailand's GNI in 2025 is projected at US$562,095 million, an increase of approximately US$49,606 million from 2024. This places Thailand among the ASEAN countries with the highest GNI in 2025. The top 11 ASEAN countries by GNI in 2025 are: Indonesia (US$1,407,196 million), Thailand (US$562,095 million), the Philippines (US$559,930 million), Singapore (US$501,837 million), Vietnam (US$500,206 million), Malaysia (US$455,977 million), Myanmar (US$79,988 million), Cambodia (US$50,363 million), Laos (US$17,278 million), Brunei (US$15,518 million), and Timor-Leste (US$2,026 million).
Ms. Rachada stated that these figures reflect Thailand's strong economic base in the region, encompassing manufacturing, services, tourism, agricultural food, infrastructure, logistics, the automotive industry, electronics, healthcare, and supply chains linked to the ASEAN economy.
However, the government is not complacent about the need for accelerated growth. Economic policies under the leadership of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul aim to transform existing economic capital into new economic engines, encompassing new investments, clean energy, digital technology, semiconductors, trade, services, wellness, and high-value industries.
Ms. Rachada stated that the government is closely collaborating with the private sector to upgrade the economy through the Joint Public-Private Sector Committee for Economic Problem Solving (JPC). The first meeting was held on June 22, 2026, and the second is scheduled for July 8th. Key agenda items will include monitoring progress on private sector proposals, addressing economic bottlenecks, and accelerating the transformation of Thailand's potential into tangible results.
At its first meeting, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) approved in principle the appointment of four subcommittees: those focusing on new national investment development; those on trade, tourism, and community economic development; those on human resource upgrading and technological development; and those on business facilitation development. The Deputy Prime Minister overseeing each area was assigned as the chairperson of each subcommittee. They were also tasked with developing strategic initiatives and prioritizing these issues to accelerate systematic implementation and achieve tangible results. It is expected that each subcommittee will report on its progress to the meeting tomorrow.
"The government's goal is to make the Thai economy grow faster, more inclusively, and with higher value, by using the country's strengths as a foundation to build upon for investment, jobs, income, and new opportunities for the people," Ms. Rachada said.