Development Co‑operation Profiles: Thailand
Table of contents
Thailand has a long history of engaging in development co-operation as a core part of its foreign policy. It seeks to support partner countries in attaining security, prosperity and sustainability, in line with its Sufficiency Economy Philosophy approach and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Delivered through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Thailand's development co-operation focuses on South-South and triangular co-operation with its regional neighbours in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and beyond — drawing on its own experience of transitioning from a beneficiary to a provider of development aid — as well as triangular co-operation in partnership with several OECD countries. Thailand's total official development assistance (ODA) stood at USD 65.8 million in 2024, representing 0.01% of its gross national income (GNI).
This profile presents verified data on Thailand’s development assistance allocations. See the Development Co‑operation Profiles.
Thailand’s development co-operation is aligned with its Foreign Affairs Masterplan (2018-2037) and its five key strategic priorities: 1) security; 2) sustainability; 3) standard; 4) status; and 5) synergy. Development co-operation priorities also follow those of the 20-year National Strategy (2018-2037), which has a strategic guideline of “establishing and enhancing development co-operation”, and the mid-term plan to implement the strategy; the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023-2027), which actively promotes the Bio-Circular-Green Economy to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth. Thailand delivers its development co-operation mainly through TICA, with a focus on ensuring: 1) health security; 2) job security; 3) food security; and 4) energy and environmental security, channelled through technical co‑operation in the form of development projects, Thai experts and volunteers, scholarships, and study visits. Thailand also provides concessional loans and technical collaboration through the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA). Guided by a three-pillar strategy, NEDA adheres to the SDGs to promote climate resilience and foster economic growth alongside social and environmental considerations.
As part of its strategy, Thailand advocates for global co-operation in international and regional platforms and fora. Thailand is actively engaged in the ASEAN, establishing the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue during its 2019 chairpersonship. The country is engaged in the United Nations’ (UN) institutions, and plays a central role within the UN Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, regularly hosting the Asia-Pacific Directors General Forum for South-South and Triangular Cooperation and the Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. Thailand also engages with the OECD in the context of its accession process, and with the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) on development co-operation. Thailand contributes to multilateral development banks, notably the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
Thailand provided USD 65.8 million of ODA in 2024 (USD in constant terms), representing 0.01% of GNI.1 This was a decrease of 13.2% in real terms in volume from 2023.2 Within Thailand’s ODA portfolio in 2024, 78.3% was provided in the form of grants, 21.7% was extended as loans.
Thailand channels the majority of its ODA bilaterally, with allocations concentrated in Southeast Asia in line with its policy. In 2024, Thailand allocated 53.3% of its gross bilateral ODA to least developed countries (LDCs).
Notes: This table only includes information about ODA data-related DAC recommendations. ODA: official development assistance; GNI: gross national income; DAC: Development Assistance Committee. 2023 data are preliminary aggregate figures submitted as the Advance Questionnaire.
Thailand provided most of its ODA bilaterally in 2024. Gross bilateral ODA was 66.3% of total ODA disbursements. Of this, 21.9% was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2024, Thailand provided USD 31.7 million of gross ODA to the multilateral system. Of this, USD 22.2 million was core multilateral ODA (33.7% of total ODA), while USD 9.5 million was non-core contributions earmarked for a specific country, region, theme or purpose. Project-type funding earmarked for a specific theme and/or country accounted for 0.4% of Thailand’s non-core contributions, and 99.6% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The United Nations (UN) system received 36% of Thailand’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 500 thousand (4.4%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 11.4 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of Thailand’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the International Trade Centre (USD 2.8 million), the International Atomic Energy Agency – Technical Cooperation Fund (USD 2.8 million) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (USD 1.8 million).
See the section on Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA for the breakdown of bilateral allocations, including ODA earmarked through the multilateral development system.
In 2024, Thailand provided USD 43.6 million of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations).
In 2024, country programmable aid amounted to USD 31.1 million, or 71.3% of Thailand’s gross bilateral ODA.
Thailand’s humanitarian aid was USD 0.6 million, or 2% of gross bilateral ODA.
In 2024, Thailand channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through public sector and multilateral organisations.
In 2024, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 3.7 million of gross bilateral ODA, of which 0.4% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. Overall, 0.5% of gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 8% was channelled through CSOs to implement projects initiated by the provider (earmarked funding). Learn more by reading the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2024, Thailand’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on Asia (excluding the Middle East). USD 34.6 million was allocated to Asia (excluding the Middle East) and USD 0.5 million to countries in Africa, accounting respectively for 79.5% and 1.1% of gross bilateral ODA. Asia (excluding the Middle East) was also the main regional recipient of Thailand’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations. This is in line with Thailand’s overall policy regional focus on its immediate neighbourhood.
In 2024, 56.4% of gross bilateral ODA went to Thailand’s top 10 recipients. Its top 10 recipients are predominantly in Southeast Asia (ASEAN member countries). The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 42.6%.
In 2024, Thailand allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (53.3%) to least developed countries, noting that 42.6% was unallocated by income group. Additionally, Thailand allocated 29% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2024, equal to USD 12.7 million.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 23.4 million in 2024, representing 53.7% of Thailand’s gross bilateral ODA. Of this ODA, 2.3% was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance. Learn more about the States of Fragility platform.
In 2024, the largest focus of Thailand’s bilateral ODA was social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 47.2% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 13.9 million), with a strong focus on support to education (USD 6.9 million), health and population (USD 6.2 million) and other social infrastructure and services (USD 0.6 million). ODA for other macro sectors totalled USD 6.1 million, with a focus on administrative costs of donors (USD 5.6 million). Production sectors amounted to USD 6.1 million (20.7% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on social sectors and production sectors in 2024.
In 2024, Thailand:
Allocated 13.1% of its bilateral ODA (USD 5.7 million) to core poverty-reducing sectors as defined by SDG 1.a.1. This indicator captures grants to basic social services (such as basic health and education, water supply and sanitation, multisector aid for basic social services) and development food aid. Learn more by exploring the Reducing poverty and inequalities through ODA data explainer.
Committed USD 7.4 million (31.2% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2024. Learn more by exploring the Aid for Trade dashboard.
Total official support for sustainable development (TOSSD) is an international statistical standard that monitors and increases the transparency of all official and officially supported resources for financing the SDGs received by developing countries (Pillar 1) and for addressing global challenges (Pillar 2). In 2024, activities reported by Thailand as TOSSD totalled USD 68 million. Thailand’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) and SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for Thailand’s bilateral and multilateral development co‑operation policies. Its Department of International Organisations also contributes to international organisations, such as the United Nations and the Asian Development Bank.
Thailand’s main implementing bodies of development co-operation are TICA, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and NEDA, under the Ministry of Finance. TICA, established in 2004, succeeded the former Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation, which previously managed incoming aid. TICA is in charge of technical co-operation with countries globally, whereas NEDA, established in 2005, covers financial and technical co-operation at a regional level.
Furthermore, 17 line ministries (including education, health and transport) provide grants for bilateral projects and contribute to some multilateral organisations. The Export-Import Bank, under the Minister of Finance, offers concessional loans to developing countries, which are linked to the provision of goods and services from Thai companies.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development placed a renewed emphasis on strengthening the effectiveness of all forms of development co-operation by upholding and elevating the Effectiveness Principles. Adherence to these principles is measured through the partner country-led monitoring exercise of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation. Thailand participated in the 2023-2026 monitoring round through its reporting to two partner countries, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Its results can be found here and here.
Access the full list of development co-operation providers at: Development Co-operation Profiles.
Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA): https://tica-thaigov.mfa.go.th/en.
Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA): https://www.neda.or.th/2023/en/home.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 20-year Foreign Affairs Masterplan (2018-2037): https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/mkKfL2iULZ/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3/mfa-s-strategy.pdf.
OECD, “Development co-operation systems in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam”: www.oecd.org/dac/2022-south-east-asian-dev-coop-providers.pdf?utm_source=email-outreach&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=seadevproviders&utm_content=en&utm_term=dcd.
On 17 June 2024, the OECD Council decided to open accession discussions with Thailand, and on 10 July 2024, adopted a Roadmap for the OECD Accession of Thailand. In December 2025, Thailand submitted its Initial Memorandum and is advancing in its accession process.
Thailand has been reporting to the OECD at the aggregate level since 2006 and at the activity level since 2023 for 2022 activities.
Thailand is an Adherent to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. Learn more about OECD legal instruments and DAC Recommendations.
Thailand expressed interest in becoming a participant to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
Thailand participated in the 2025 DAC High Level Meeting.
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including the grant-equivalent methodology, core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, country programmable aid, channels of delivery, bilateral ODA unspecified/unallocated, bilateral allocable ODA, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.
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← 1. DAC members adopted the grant-equivalent methodology starting from their reporting of 2018 data as a more accurate way to count the donor effort in development loans. See the methodological notes for further details.
← 3. Data from 2023 are preliminary aggregate figures submitted as the Advance Questionnaire.