Thailand has one of Southeast Asia’s largest and most diversified economies. Its economic structure is primarily driven by the services sector, which accounts for over half of the country’s GDP, as well as tourism, trade, and telecommunications. Manufacturing is another key sector, including petrochemicals, electronics, automotive, and machinery, making Thailand a major regional hub for automobile production and electronics assembly. Agriculture, though smaller in economic share, remains vital, with Thailand a leading exporter of rice, rubber, cassava, and sugarcane.

The government has laid out ambitious development frameworks such as the Thailand 4.0 initiative, aimed at transforming the country into a high-income economy driven by innovation, technology, and sustainable growth. However, challenges remain, including notable income inequality, a significant rural-urban divide, and underemployment in some regions; unemployment rates are generally low but sometimes rise as a result of structural economic changes. Additionally, Thailand faces challenges related to criminal markets and illicit finance, including trafficking, drug smuggling, and money laundering, which complicate efforts to ensure transparent economic governance.