State firms warned of reform ahead of OECD membership

Thailand's state enterprises are being told to prepare for alignment with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) standards, particularly in the area of fair competition.

- WICHIT CHANTANUSORNSIRI

According to a source from the Finance Ministry who requested anonymity, Thailand is in the process of preparing agreements to join the OECD, and government agencies as well as state enterprises will need to adapt to various OECD standards.

Regarding the country's state enterprises, the State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo) is now in the process of preparing agreements in accordance with OECD standards, including fair bidding practices using market prices. In some cases, where a subsidiary of a state enterprise bids to provide services to its parent company, it must use market-based pricing to ensure fair competition.