Tourism from Gulf countries, she said, fell to close to zero in March, as attacks from Iran closed regional airports. Those numbers have yet to fully rebound, and their wealthy visitors typically account for 7% of total tourism spending in Thailand.
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Thailand is expected to record the slowest economic growth in ASEAN in 2026 after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its forecast to 1.5%, down from 1.6% projected in January. The downgrade, reported today, April 17, places Thailand behind its regional peers, including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
The IMF said Vietnam is expected to lead the region with 7.1% growth, followed by Indonesia at 5%, Malaysia at 4.7%, the Philippines at 4.1% and Singapore at 3.5%. Cambodia and Laos are each forecast to grow by around 4%, while Myanmar is projected at 3%.
The new Thailand economy forecast came as the IMF cut its 2026 global growth forecast to 3.1% from 3.3% earlier this year.
Ekniti said Thailand still faced long-running problems, especially weak investment. He said the government wanted to speed up spending on infrastructure, digital technology and AI, while changing regulations and improving workforce skills to support stronger long-term growth.
On energy and geopolitical risks, he presented a “4T” framework consisting of Target, Transition, Transformation and Together. The approach includes targeted support measures, a faster shift to clean energy, broader economic restructuring and cooperation across sectors.
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