On 27 January 2026, Ms. Rujikorn Saengchantr, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs and Thailand’s APEC Senior Official, chaired a preparatory meeting to coordinate Thai agencies’ participation in the First APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting of 2026 (APEC SOM1/2026), of which the People’s Republic of China will host during 1 - 10 February 2026 in Guangzhou under the theme “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together,” with three key priorities: Openness, Innovation, and Cooperation.

The meeting discussed and agreed on Thailand’s positions and key issues to be advanced in APEC 2026. Thailand will continue to promote regional economic integration, strengthen the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, and foster cooperation on digital transformation and artificial intelligence, addressing cross-border online scams, and advancing the implementation of the Bangkok Goals on the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy, a legacy of Thailand’s APEC Host Year in 2022.

Thailand will also place an emphasis on structural reform, upgrading trade standards, and promotion of financial cooperation to advance sustainable economic development. These priorities are also in line with Thailand’s commitment in other international frameworks, including Thailand’s accession process to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) membership and its role as host of the World Bank Group - International Monetary Fund (IMF - WBG) Annual Meetings in October 2026.