The Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, headed the country’s delegation to Kunming, China, for the eighth GMS Summit and 10th ACMECS Summit. Her accompanying delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maris Sangiampongsa.
The summits looked into regional cooperation on economic growth and the need for sustainable development and innovation.
Key highlights from the GMS Summit
At the GMS Summit, chaired by China under the theme “Towards a Better Community Through Innovation-driven Development,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn reiterated Thailand’s commitment to the summit’s 3C pillars: Connectivity, Competitiveness, and Community. Specifically, she mentioned Thailand’s digital transformation achievements, such as PromptPay and Cross-border QR Code Payment, serving to increase economic linkages and move toward a cashless society.
The Prime Minister also emphasized inclusive development, which ensures quality education, gender equality, and better public health. She called for cooperation on sustainable growth and urged “inclusive, environmentally friendly innovation” in order to shrink the technology divide within the region.
The GMS Summit adopted the Joint Summit Declaration and the GMS Innovation Strategy for Development 2030, laying out a regional plan for digital and economic integration.
Thailand’s role at the ACMECS Summit
During the ACMECS Summit, under the chairmanship of Laos with the theme “Towards Seamless Connectivity for Mekong Sub-regional Integration,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to sub-regional development.
Thailand took on a coordinating role for this theme, focusing on common challenge areas such as transnational crimes, air pollution, and climate change. She presented Thailand’s Concept Note on Water Resources Management to establish guidelines for the sustainable use of the Mekong’s water resources among member nations.
The ACMECS Summit adopted the Vientiane Declaration, reflecting common goals of expanded cooperation and regional resilience. It also endorsed New Zealand as a new development partner of the bloc to further strengthen sub-regional bonds.
A vision for a stronger Mekong region
Prime Minister Paetongtarn taking an active role in such summits shows that Thailand is committed to the pursuit of a more robust, integrated Mekong subregion. On digital innovation, inclusive growth, and sustainable resource management, she represented Thailand with great emphasis on the Thai vision of a prosperous, cooperative Mekong community. Such initiatives will further position Thailand as a regional leader in advancing long-term economic stability and development.
Paetongtarn’s multilateral engagements will continue in Lima, Peru, where she will attend the 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit from November 14th-16th.
Teerin Julsawad 
Paul Rujopakarn