‘Team Thailand’ to navigate geopolitical risks, push EU FTA talks
Thailand is to increase coordination between the government and private sectors under a ‘Team Thailand’ approach, to confront rising geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty, while accelerating negotiations on the long-waited free trade agreement with the European Union (EU).
Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun convened a meeting with Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, on Wednesday, alongside representatives from 15 industry clusters, including pharmaceuticals, health products, cosmetics, wellness tourism, Meetings , Incentive Travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) and sports.
The talks focused on aligning public and private sector efforts to strengthen Thailand’s economic resilience as businesses face increasing unpredictability from global conflicts, supply chain disruptions and shifting trade dynamics among major economies, such as the United States and China.
As part of the immediate measures, the Commerce Ministry launched the ‘Thai Help Thai’ campaign on April 1st. The programme, in partnership with more than 20 leading wholesalers and retailers, offers discounts on over 1,000 essential goods, with reductions of up to 58% on selected house brands and alternative products.
Additional support measures include the expansion of mobile ‘Blue Flag’ outlets, to deliver affordable goods to vulnerable communities and help ease excess agricultural output. The ministry will also provide discounted farm produce to ready-to-eat food vendors, beginning in Bangkok and nearby provinces.
Over the longer term, Thailand is seeking to reduce its reliance on traditional export markets by expanding into regions such as India, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia.
According to the Commerce Ministry, a central priority remains the Thailand–EU Free Trade Agreement, now in its eighth round of negotiations. Currently, roughly 20–30% of key issues are still under discussion, with both sides aiming to conclude the deal in the near future.
The government is also seeking to boost food security, promote higher-value agricultural processing and develop future food and food technology industries as part of broader S-Curve sector growth.
The Commerce Ministry also outlined a four-pillar strategy to guide Thailand’s economic transformation, comprising:
- Competitiveness, which is aimed at upgrading productivity and moving towards a high-value economy.
- Security and Stability, which increases economic resilience.
- Inclusivity, which widens access to opportunities, particularly for SMEs and communities.
- Resilient Agility, which enhances the ability to adapt to global disruptions.
The approach emphasises closer inter-agency coordination to ensure policies are aligned and effectively implemented.
Private sector representatives are calling for stronger government action on import management, market expansion, business matching initiatives, workforce development and regulatory reform to improve the ease of doing business.
They are also stressing the importance of preparing for rapid technological change, which continues to reshape global competition.
According to Suphajee, the meeting reflected a shared commitment to deeper public-private collaboration, as Thailand seeks to reinforce its economic foundations and remain competitive in an increasingly complex global environment.