Future Fund to support clean-energy infrastructure
Ekniti said the energy transition would not rely only on borrowing under the emergency decree.
The government also plans to mobilise funding through other channels, including the Thailand Future Fund, to invest in infrastructure projects such as solar farms operated by electricity agencies.
He said this approach would help reduce reliance on direct borrowing and ease pressure on public debt.
Funds from the renewable energy fund would also be used to support business reform and help the transition towards clean energy.
“This transition is not merely short-term relief, but an investment in the future to strengthen the country’s long-term competitiveness,” Ekniti said.
5T model to reshape Thai growth
Ekniti said driving the economy with limited resources required a clear framework. He proposed a “5T” model to help Thailand use public resources effectively while preparing the economy for long-term change.
The 5T approach includes:
Target: Budget spending and policy measures must be directed to the right groups, including cost-of-living support, investment and assistance for SMEs, so limited resources are used efficiently.
Transition: Thailand must accelerate its shift towards a green economy through a Green Energy Transition, while supporting investment in clean-energy infrastructure.
Transform: The country must be transformed through three core investment areas:
Infrastructure investment: Investment in people and AI-related skills.
Regulatory reform to make investment easier
Ekniti said this would include pushing the FastPass system for BOI investors and supporting investment in data centres, chips and AI-related industries.
Transparency: The government must improve transparency by disclosing budget data in formats that can be analysed further by AI, making public scrutiny more efficient.
Teamwork: Economic policy must be driven through cooperation between the state, the private sector and economic agencies, including the Joint Public and Private Sector Consultative Committee, or JSCC. The aim is to jointly push investment, regulatory reform, workforce development and fiscal stability.
AI tool to help small traders
Ekniti also pointed to the use of AI under the Nok Krasip project, which helps small traders analyse sales, costs and profits while preparing financial information.
He said the tool could help small business operators gain easier access to formal loans by giving them better financial records and clearer business data.
Ekniti stressed that AI should not be a technology reserved only for large businesses or major organisations. Instead, it should become a practical tool to lift small entrepreneurs and strengthen their ability to compete.
He said the project would serve as a model to be presented at the World Bank and IMF meetings that Thailand will host later this year.
Thailand urged to adjust before it is too late
Ekniti said the world was changing rapidly in security, energy and AI, while Thailand was facing pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, low growth and inequality.
He warned that if Thailand failed to accelerate its transition in energy, investment, infrastructure and human-capital development, the country would lose more of its competitiveness.
Thailand’s economic drive, he said, would require cooperation from all sectors so the country could withstand global crises and achieve sustainable long-term growth.