The Prime Minister teams up with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to address the global energy crisis and lead Thailand's transition to clean energy. The IEA Director praised Thailand's approach as being on the right track and supports its push to join the OECD.
On 22 May 2026 at 14:00 local time in the French Republic (five hours behind Thailand), at the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters in Paris, France, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met with Dr. Fatih Birol, Director of the IEA, to discuss cooperation on energy security, the transition to clean energy, and strengthening strategic collaboration between Thailand and the IEA.
After the meeting, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister, revealed that the IEA Director commended Thailand’s energy policy as being on the right path and aligned with the global energy context facing challenges. He especially praised the accelerated review of energy policies and the concrete push towards clean energy transition. He affirmed the IEA's full support for Thailand in academic knowledge, technology, technical cooperation, and connecting with the global energy business network.
The spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister said the key points the Prime Minister raised in the discussion were as follows:
1. Energy policies and addressing the global energy crisis
The Prime Minister emphasized that the Thai government prioritizes building energy security while managing the public's cost of living. The government is advancing energy cost management and accelerating the energy transition by promoting renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, developing battery energy storage systems, and modernizing the power grid to support sustainable economic growth in the future.
Thailand has been actively seeking cooperation to diversify import sources and strengthen energy security. The government has implemented measures to mitigate impacts from the global energy crisis, including enhancing strategic oil reserve management, diversifying crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports alongside increasing domestic refining capacity, using the fuel oil fund to stabilize prices, improving transportation and energy distribution nationwide, promoting electricity generation from alternative energy, and expanding support measures for small power producers.
2. Elevating cooperation between Thailand and the IEA
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Thailand’s readiness to elevate cooperation with the IEA in all dimensions, especially in enhancing energy capabilities, policy dialogue on energy security, and emergency energy response drills. He also expressed commitment to applying for permanent membership of the IEA in the future.
3. Promoting Thailand’s accession to OECD membership
The Prime Minister requested IEA support for Thailand’s application process to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The IEA Director assured full support for Thailand throughout this process.
At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister invited the IEA Director to attend GASTech 2026 in Bangkok this September. The IEA Director immediately accepted, and both parties agreed to use this opportunity to deepen energy cooperation.
GASTech 2026 is the world’s largest exhibition and conference for the natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and alternative energy industries. It is expected to attract tens of thousands of participants from over 150 countries worldwide.
