Thailand’s Ministry of Finance published a readout of Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul’s participation in the 12th ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting and the 29th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, covering agreed regional priorities and the state of ASEAN financial cooperation. The meetings reviewed progress across infrastructure financing, insurance cooperation, ASEAN Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance, tax cooperation, the ASEAN Single Window, and work under the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum. Thailand highlighted disaster risk financing and insurance as a key regional planning mechanism and pointed to reinsurance as a tool to protect public finances and strengthen community preparedness. The 12th AFMGM endorsed Malaysia’s ASEAN Chair Priority Economic Deliverables for 2025 across four strategic areas: promoting trade and investment, advancing inclusivity and sustainability, strengthening economic integration and connectivity, and building an ASEAN community able to respond to digital transformation; Thailand underscored the role of technology under RIA-Fin, including instant payments, digital account opening and virtual banking, and linked regional financial connectivity ambitions to its Thailand Financial Hub Initiative. Related sessions included exchanges with ASEAN, EU-ASEAN and US-ASEAN business councils on topics such as digital payments, climate transition financing and supply chain resilience, alongside bilateral discussions with Malaysia on Islamic finance, with Viet Nam on economic and financial cooperation, and with Indonesia on fintech, virtual banking and regional financial innovation. The next AFMM and AFMGM meetings are scheduled for 2026, to be hosted by the Philippines.

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