Thailand’s growth outlook improves on AI boost but still trails regional peers
Economists are lifting their forecasts for Thailand after updated manufacturing data revealed a larger contribution from AI-related industries, although much of the economy remains sluggish.
Thailand's growth outlook has improved due to a boost from the AI sector, according to estimates from banks and research firms. However, Thailand is still projected to have the weakest growth among Southeast Asian major economies, trailing behind Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The improvements are largely attributed to booming electronics exports and investment tied to AI, but the benefits have not yet reached the broader economy, with high household debt and weak consumer demand still posing challenges.
The revision increases the projected GDP growth for 2026 by 0.2–0.3 percentage points, but does not significantly improve the breadth of growth.
Brief written by urgent.news from VnExpress Business's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
