Thailand's Commerce Ministry Director Poon Phong Naiyanaphakorn unveiled an "Unlocking New Growth" strategy to transform the Thai economy. With exports up 18.2% in the first seven months of 2026 but SMEs (3.28 million entities, 99.5% of businesses) representing only 14% of export value while generating 35% of GDP, the plan aims to elevate SMEs from survival to scale by integrating them into global supply chains and shifting manufacturing from OEM to ODM/OBM models. The ministry will adopt three new roles—Stabilize, Connect, and Unlock—to reduce business barriers, digitize services, and shift agricultural focus from volume to value creation.