The Poor People's Assembly issued a statement listing six demands opposing the World Bank-IMF meeting, emphasizing the need to stop protecting big capital interests and urging the government to prioritize small-scale people before officially ending the protest.
On 16 Oct 2026 at Asoke Montri Intersection, the Poor People's Assembly held a peaceful all-day protest featuring alternating speeches in Thai and English. They reflected on past lessons and impacts from Thailand's foreign borrowing, as well as the influence of international financial organizations like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in shaping Thailand's economic policies. The atmosphere remained orderly, with participants sharing meals, singing, and engaging in symbolic activities in areas designated by authorities.
Toward the end, the event highlighted six key demands for economic structural reforms benefiting the people, including:
1. Cancel debts of poor and middle-income countries. They call for cancelling 60% of debts for low-income countries and 30% for middle-income countries to free budgets for food security and social services instead of being trapped in cycles of inequality.
2. Allow public scrutiny of foreign borrowing so people know how government loans are used, who benefits, and hold responsible parties accountable if policies harm communities.
3. Stop supporting large corporations and shift support to agroecological farming. They demand ending subsidies for large-scale agribusiness and redirecting funds to promote agroecological systems and food sovereignty.
4. Reform taxes by increasing revenue from the ultra-rich through progressive taxes, corporate profit taxes, and wealth taxes to fund national development.
5. Democratize the central bank. The central bank must be transparent, accountable, and work to protect workers’ interests rather than serve capitalists.
6. Center people and the environment. They urge the government to stop focusing solely on GDP figures and instead evaluate policies based on real impacts on living conditions, hunger, and inequality.
Finally, the Poor People's Assembly leaders stressed that the government should prioritize smallholder farmers and marginalized people rather than policies benefiting capitalists, before officially announcing the end of the protest.