Written by Prachya Chiasakul and Josepha Dietrich
For Australia Awards scholar Prachya Chiasakul, Thailand’s bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is more than a policy milestone – it is an opportunity to strengthen governance, improve regulation and deliver better outcomes for communities. Through UQ International Development’s MAPSTA program, he gained the confidence, networks and practical insights to help turn that vision into reality.
Economic development can sound abstract, but for legal counsel Prachya Chiasakul it is about something very real – improving people’s welfare through democracy and transparent government.
As Thailand advances its bid to join the OECD, 25 Thai government officials took part in UQ International Development’s 2025 Mekong–Australia Partnership Short-term Awards (MAPSTA) program. For Prachya Chiasakul of the Office of the Council of State, the experience was transformative. "MAPSTA encouraged me to be more proactive in starting connections and coordinating with OECD member countries Germany and Slovakia," he said.
“My background in Germany, alumni connections and German language skills opened the door for me to initiate connections with the German Embassy, the NKR, a German public agency, and the College of Politics and Governance at Thammasat University,” he said. “I had the opportunity to reach out to my German connections before, but it was MAPSTA that encouraged me to cross the threshold and actually do it.”
Thailand formally initiated accession in April 2024 and is working towards full membership by 2030.
For Prachya, Thailand becoming an OECD member is important because accession is not simply a diplomatic goal. It is a way to modernise governance, strengthen institutions and improve people’s lives. As he says, the process should be seen “not as an endpoint, but as a mechanism to drive reform, a pathway to modernise governance, and a means to improve public welfare.”
While OECD membership is the immediate goal, Prachya believes the real prize is lasting institutional change. The real challenge is embedding the organisation’s principles – evidence, evaluation and data-driven decision-making – into the fabric of Thailand’s institutions.
“We don’t just want membership,” he said. “We want to embrace what the OECD represents. If we can move the needle, even a little, that’s success.”
Just as importantly, the program changed how Prachya thought about international collaboration.
“Joining MAPSTA helped me better understand the project and what it is trying to achieve,” he said. “At its core, I see it as a simple idea – we live in a small, interconnected world, and if we want to improve our own countries, we also need to help other countries improve as well.”
“What stood out to me is that this approach feels genuinely sincere. I can really sense the intention isn’t just strategic, but grounded in a commitment to cooperation.”
From mindset to measurable impact
That shift in mindset translated into practical results. Prachya points to 3 post-program examples: progress on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) matter, a study commission with Australian counterparts, and new collaboration with German counterparts on regulatory reform.
The impact of those connections became clear during negotiations on Thailand's free trade agreement with Peru. Rather than navigating lengthy bureaucratic channels, Prachya was able to draw on relationships forged through MAPSTA.
“Through MAPSTA, I built a strong cross-agency network that allowed us to move beyond slow formal processes – picking up the phone instead and reaching agreement within days,” he said.
Better regulatory oversight helps ensure new rules are necessary, evidence-based and shaped through consultation. That can mean faster, simpler interactions with government for ordinary people. Thailand’s revised Licensing Facilitation Act, announced in the Royal Gazette this week, is one example, designed to reduce red tape, speed up approvals and make government services more transparent and accessible.
The Thai Government has also introduced mandatory public consultations, giving vulnerable groups a stronger voice in policymaking and opening major reforms to greater public scrutiny. Under measures such as the Protection of Destitute Persons Act, citizens have been able to monitor and contribute to discussions on high-profile social security pension and board election reforms, helping to create a more transparent and participatory regulatory process.
Strengthening regional cooperation for long-term impact
For Prachya, the wider lesson is that better regulation depends on better relationships.
“Through the connections fostered by MAPSTA, I was nudged toward a deeper culture of cooperation,” he said. “I realised that it is not just about asking for help; it is about actively reaching out to pool our collective resources and expertise. By collaborating across agencies – leveraging the specific strengths of economists and data analysts – we can achieve a level of regulatory oversight that none of us could reach alone.”
Funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Mekong–Australia Partnership strengthens regional capacity to address shared challenges such as water security, climate change and transnational crime. Australia has committed AU$222.5 million for Phase II from 2025 to 2029, supporting Thailand’s OECD bid and broader global engagement.
What stood out most for Prachya was the program’s genuine commitment to cooperation, to break down institutional silos, and to connect people across sectors and borders.
“We live in a small, interconnected world,” he said, “and if we want to improve our own countries, we also need to help other countries improve as well.”
For Prachya, the most enduring outcome of MAPSTA has not been a single project or policy reform, but the network of relationships it helped create.
“In an era of increasingly complex challenges, the siloed nature of administration often hinders progress,” he said. “MAPSTA breaks down those barriers, connecting people, institutions and expertise in ways that lead to real outcomes.”
From strengthening engagement with the OECD to supporting high-stakes trade negotiations, those connections have already proven their worth. For Prachya, they also offer a blueprint for the future: a more connected, collaborative approach to policymaking that is better equipped to tackle the challenges ahead.
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Photo credits: Marc Grimwade (UQ Customs House) and UQ International Development.
