IMF Chief Arrives in Bangkok: Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Greets Her at the Airport as Thailand Declares the Venue Ready
BANGKOK — Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), arrived at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on October 9, where she was welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas. She is in Thailand for the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings from October 12 to 18 — the first time the meetings are being held in Thailand.
The same day, Ekniti led media on a tour of preparations at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) and announced the venue is ready. Under the slogan 'Thailand Blooms to the World', the meetings will use more than 28,000 square metres of exhibition and meeting space, laid out on sustainability principles, with high-speed internet, on-site currency exchange and banking services. Organisers expect more than 15,000 delegates from 191 countries — the largest attendance in the meetings' history.
Thailand has prepared for a long time: the government earlier committed 160 million baht, shared with the central bank, toward preparations, with state enterprises and private sponsors adding some 400 million baht for hospitality. Preparations have included a security rehearsal by law-enforcement agencies — and with Bangkok still in flood recovery, the meetings' security and the city's functioning are being stress-tested at the same time.
Thailand hopes the meetings will showcase its ambitions in super intelligence, electric vehicles, clean energy and digital finance to global investors, advancing a 'Thailand is investable' image. For the Chinese business community in Thailand, meetings week means a concentrated release of hotel, dining, exhibition and tourism spending; Chinese restaurants and malls across Bangkok are preparing for next week's crowds.
Sources: Compiled from the Thai News Agency's report of Georgieva's arrival (carried by Thailand Tribune and The Recorder on October 9, 2026) and PR Newswire's October 9 briefing on the QSNCC venue tour.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 曼谷素万那普机场出发大厅，Khaosaming 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0（Wikimedia Commons）
