The FTI identifies structural weaknesses, geopolitical risks, and high debt as major threats; calls for a bold ‘4GO’ strategy to drive digital and green industrial reform.
Thailand is entering 2026 facing an increasingly complex economic landscape, with leading private sector figures warning that the year ahead will be challenging, even as new opportunities emerge.
Kriengkrai Thiennukul, president of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), described the economy as “stuck in the mud.”
He noted that quarter-on-quarter GDP growth had slowed significantly from 3.2% in Q1 to a mere 0.3% in Q4 of 2025, demanding a substantial stimulus package to regain momentum.
The urgency for reform is underscored by data from the IMF, which warns that without serious structural change, Thailand risks falling from second to fifth place among ASEAN economies by 2030—a clear signal that the country “must change the game” to preserve its competitiveness.
The FTI highlighted persistent structural issues and external shocks pressuring the economy.
Internal weaknesses include the rapid acceleration of the aging society (21.6% of the population), high corruption and an outdated bureaucracy, and the persistent middle-income trap with low GDP per capita.
Compounding these are a distorted budget structure, with high fixed expenditure and low investment, and fragile political stability.