“Aekniti” paints a vision for Thailand's future, warning that if the technology train passes by, the Thai economy will plunge. He announces an accelerated shift to an upward economy, harnessing AI and clean energy to transform the country and encourage Thais to produce and sell electricity.
On 9 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Aekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, delivered a keynote speech at the TNN Future Forum 2026 Thailand Beyond Tomorrow. He emphasized that Thailand urgently needs to advance a strategy to create future opportunities while repairing existing problems. He compared global changes to a high-speed train passing through Thailand; if Thais cannot board this train, the economy—already marked by K-shaped inequality where some advance and others are left behind—will worsen further.
“What we must do is not just let the train pass by. Without action, the K-shaped economy will turn into an A-shape, meaning only decline. Saying no to everything won’t help. If we do nothing, Thailand won’t be a K but will become an A downtrend, meaning everyone worsens. What we need to do is turn the K into a rising V, allowing the majority to board this new high-speed future train.”
Mr. Aekniti said that to push the economic graph into a V shape, the government aims to seize global trends, especially AI technology, so Thais are not just users but also producers. The Board of Investment (BOI) has revised its strategy, focusing not only on investment value but on benefits for Thai people and businesses. Thailand continues to attract infrastructure investments in AI and clean energy, including one of the world’s top photonics data centers in Saraburi province, creating over 30,000 jobs. The BOI mandates technology transfer and joint research with Suranaree University of Technology.
Simultaneously, another key transformation is in energy. The government plans to support households with a 50,000 baht subsidy to install rooftop solar panels, partnering with the Electricity Authority and state financial institutions. This will turn citizens from electricity consumers into producers who can sell power back to the state, generating long-term income for 25–30 years. Alongside this, the government promotes biofuels like B20 biodiesel from palm oil and E20 ethanol from sugarcane and cassava to reduce crude oil imports and channel energy spending to Thai farmers. Additionally, efforts to upgrade Thai herbal and medical sectors include attracting global pharmaceutical companies to establish a health and wellness hub to serve an aging society.
However, while focusing on the future, repairing existing problems remains crucial. Thailand faces longstanding structural issues, including low economic growth that has fallen from an average 6–7% before 1997 to below 3% now. This slowdown directly reduces citizens' incomes, leading to insufficient savings and increased borrowing, causing rising household and public debt. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) struggle to access financing, leaving vulnerable groups hit hard by global crises like COVID-19 or energy shocks, lacking resilience.
Therefore, the government is intensifying cooperation with relevant agencies to address household debt by transferring debts to asset management companies to help nearly a million people avoid default. It also injects liquidity for SMEs through 60 billion baht in loan guarantees, accelerates 60 billion baht in tax refunds, and launches the 'Whisper Loan' using AI to analyze sales of small traders in fresh markets free of charge, enabling loans without collateral. Furthermore, it offers the 'Savings Bond Plus' targeting small investors with minimum investments before institutional buyers, in a small-lot-first format.
“Today in Thailand, I believe to achieve Thailand Beyond Tomorrow, we must both repair and build. We must work together to ensure a better transition for Thailand’s future.”