Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn outlines a roadmap to reform Thai laws with a goal to join the OECD by 2028, utilizing AI technology to assist legal reforms. He also advances the Super License system to ease business processes and build confidence among global investors.
On 29 May 2026 at the Government House, Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt revealed progress and direction for Thailand’s OECD membership. He stated this mission is vital for elevating Thailand to international standards, with the government targeting OECD membership by 2028.
Joining the OECD is not just about entering the 'club of developed countries' but aims importantly at establishing quality regulations for better public well-being—"Better Regulation for Better Life." Successful OECD membership will enhance Thailand’s competitiveness, with investors and over 30 member countries trusting shared standards, enabling increased trade and investment without bilateral agreements. It will also strengthen trust in government, a key factor for future national development.
Key issues in reforming Thai laws to align with OECD standards include:
Over the past year, the Council of State has begun reforming Thailand’s laws and legal processes to meet OECD standards. The challenge lies in harmonizing a vast body of law—over 900 Acts, 7,000 subordinate laws, and more than 21,000 legal procedures—with about 260 OECD legal instruments.
Pakorn explained that Thailand developed the TH2OECD system, employing Agentic AI and Graph RAG technologies to process data. This system translates Thai laws into English and cross-checks them against OECD instruments to perform gap analysis and provide recommendations to close those gaps.
"We reconstructed the entire database from PDFs into a machine-readable format so AI can process it. However, no matter how advanced AI becomes, Council of State officials still perform final reviews—what we call 'human in the loop'—to ensure maximum accuracy," he said.
Currently, the OECD’s Regulatory Policy Committee has begun assessing Thailand’s legal framework. Passing this legal dimension will serve as a foundational step, facilitating progress in other areas like digital, social, and environmental sectors due to established operational models.
Pakorn also said a key goal in legal reform is to transition from traditional pre-approval control systems—relying heavily on official discretion and burdening the private sector—to OECD standards emphasizing post-approval audits and public consultation. This will be done alongside revising facilitation laws to shift from multiple separate licenses to a one-time, comprehensive Super License—for example, a single permit covering all necessary approvals for opening a coffee shop or hotel—thereby reducing procedures and business costs.
Additionally, the government is amending subordinate laws by incorporating proposals from the Joint Private Sector Committee (JPSC) across seven target industries. These will identify obstructive laws and propose immediate amendments to the Cabinet without waiting for proposals from the original law-making agencies.
"Joining the OECD is not a political issue but a national interest amid high uncertainty. Without reforming laws—which we can control—we cannot enhance the country’s competitiveness," Pakorn concluded.