The Thai government is currently spearheading a nationwide initiative, encompassing both the public and private sectors, with the ambitious goal of acceding to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by 2028. This momentum primarily stems from the initiation of policy dialogues and legal reforms under the Thai-OECD Country Programme, which commenced in 2018.

A significant milestone was reached on June 17, 2024, when the OECD Council formally decided to open accession discussions with Thailand. This was followed by the adoption of the "Accession Roadmap for Thailand" by the 38 OECD member countries in July of the same year. Furthermore, on December 8, 2025, the Thai government submitted its "Initial Memorandum" (IM) to the OECD. Notably, this document utilized Artificial Intelligence (AI) to conduct a comprehensive gap analysis between OECD Legal Instruments and Thailand’s current laws, policies, and administrative practices.

Looking ahead, the OECD is scheduled to conduct a "Technical Review" to verify the Initial Memorandum between the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027. Consequently, we anticipate an acceleration of rapid legal reforms across a wide spectrum of sectors in Thailand.

The major topics in chemical regulation include;

1. Full GHS Harmonization: Updating domestic standards to align with the latest global revisions.

2. National Chemical Inventory and Data Integration: Developing a comprehensive national database and integrating fragmented data platforms.

3. Implementation of the PRTR System: Establishing a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register framework.

4. Modernization of PSM and Storage Standards: Elevating Process Safety Management (PSM) and chemical storage criteria to international levels.

5. Renovation of Environmental Impact Assessment System.