State firms warned of reform ahead of OECD membership
According to a source from the Finance Ministry who requested anonymity, Thailand is in the process of preparing agreements to join the OECD, and government agencies as well as state enterprises will need to adapt to various OECD standards.
Regarding the country's state enterprises, the State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo) is now in the process of preparing agreements in accordance with OECD standards, including fair bidding practices using market prices. In some cases, where a subsidiary of a state enterprise bids to provide services to its parent company, it must use market-based pricing to ensure fair competition.
In addition, the OECD has raised questions about the various forms of state enterprises in the country. These include those established under specific legislation with legal entity status, such as the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand; those that take the form of a limited company or public company, such as PTT; and those established as public organisations, such as the National Science and Technology Development Agency.
The source said the OECD prefers a single format -- specifically, a limited company -- which may not align with the current management structure of Thai state enterprises and could affect the status and benefits of employees in certain organisations.
As for the progress of Thailand's accession to the OECD, Thai agencies are currently preparing an initial memorandum, which is expected to be submitted to the OECD by December this year.
Various Thai agencies are in negotiations with the OECD to draft agreements in different areas. Notably, from June 23–25, officials from the National Economic and Social Development Council participated in a Strategic Foresight workshop with OECD experts. The workshop aimed to analyse key global change signals during the period covered by Thailand's 14th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2028–2032). This is an important part of systematically analysing trends and signals of high volatility and uncertainty, to ensure the 14th plan will be flexible and robust enough to accommodate future changes.
The OECD was founded in 1961 by developed countries. Fifty years on, its membership has expanded geographically to include Latin America, along with Asia and the Pacific.
There are only two members from Asia -- Japan and South Korea -- though Indonesia is in the process of applying for membership.
Within the Asean bloc, none are members of the OECD. Thailand last year submitted a letter of intent expressing its commitment to join the bloc to the OECD secretary-general, but the approval process is lengthy.
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