Thailand Trade Trends January 2026

According to data released by Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce, the country's total international trade expanded by 27 per cent year on year to USD 66.4 billion in January 2026, marking the 19th consecutive month of growth.

During the first month of 2026, exports climbed 24.4 per cent year-on-year to USD 31.6 billion, while imports picked up 29.4 per cent to USD 34.9 billion, yielding a trade deficit of USD 5 billion.

Key drivers of growth continued to be driven mainly by electronics shipments, in line with the upswing in the computer cycle and the expansion of modern technologies, including AI, which has boosted demand for manufactured goods. Agricultural and afro-industrial exports decreased by 1.8 per cent, compared to the previous month.

Exports to key destinations, including the United States, China, ASEAN and the European Union, continued to show solid performance. Several secondary markets, such as South Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Latin America, also recorded positive results.

In its latest outlook, the International Monetary Fund estimated Thailand’s GDP growth rate to be 1.6 per cent in 2026.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic union of ten member states, has a population of 667 million and a territory of 4.5 million km². It is currently the third-largest economy in Asia-Pacific and the fifth-largest globally. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has a combined GDP of USD 4.2 trillion, according to estimates for 2025.