Thailand.
BLUE READY
Implementation Ready and Building Momentum
BLUE INNOVATOR
Implementation Ready and Accelerating Progress
National Snapshot.
Thailand has integrated the Blue Economy concept into its national development frameworks, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 14 to advance marine conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources.
Notable progress has been made in protecting natural capital, particularly through biodiversity initiatives and coastal resource management.
Thailand demonstrates strong implementation readiness and growing momentum, positioning itself as a Blue Ready nation, actively laying the groundwork for a more coordinated and impactful blue economy transition.
Implementation Progress
Implementation Progress
Building momentum
Thailand has actively incorporated the Blue Economy concept into its national development frameworks, embedding it within a multi-layered strategy that spans from the 20-Year National Strategy to ministerial and departmental action plans. These include key instruments such as the National Marine and Coastal Resources Management Policy and Plan, the National Economic and Social Development Plan, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, the National Maritime Strategy, and the Climate Change Master Plan. The Thirteenth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023–2027) places the Blue Economy under the umbrella of eco-friendly growth, with six guiding principles that promote sustainable development across maritime, urban, agricultural, and industrial sectors, while also enhancing resource security and future-oriented planning.
In practice, Thailand’s Blue Economy is advanced through initiatives such as marine spatial planning (MSP), the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs), and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources’ action plans, all aligned with SDG 14 targets for marine conservation. In response, the country has taken concrete steps to address these issues, including strengthening fisheries management (evidenced by the lifting of the EU’s yellow card sanction in 2019) expanding marine conservation efforts, and promoting circular economy approaches to waste management.
Explore how Thailand is positioned for each of the
Blue Economy Capitals.
Financial
Capital.
Financial Capital.
Thailand is on the cusp of activating its blue financing mechanisms, with strategic support from the World Bank. A sovereign blue bond is being considered, with recommendations to focus on a select number of high-impact projects that deliver clear environmental and economic benefits. Priority thematic areas identified include marine conservation, coral reef restoration, and sustainable coastal tourism (Good, 2025; World Bank, 2025).
Thailand has already laid a strong foundation for sustainable finance through its Sustainable Financing Framework, established in July 2020. This framework supports the issuance of Green, Social, and Sustainability bonds, with several eligible categories directly applicable to blue economy sectors, such as sustainable fisheries, marine landscape restoration, and coastal protection (KOT, 2020). Sustainalytics has validated the framework’s alignment with Thailand’s sustainability strategy and its contribution to multiple UN SDGs, including SDG 14. Thus, Thailand is well-positioned to issue sustainability bonds and in alignment with the Green Bond Principles 2018, Social Bond Principles 2020, Green Loan Principles 2020, and ASEAN Sustainability Bond Standards 2018 (Sustainalytics, 2020).
(Need a validation with Thai national expert/rep) - A major milestone was reached in July 2024 with the issuance of Thailand’s first Blue Bond by EXIM Thailand, in partnership with BAY and GSB. Valued at 3,000 million baht over a three-year tenor with a fixed coupon rate of 2.78%, the bond is certified under the ADB-supported sustainable finance framework and rated AAA by Fitch Ratings. It aims to fund marine and coastal resource protection while supporting Thailand’s “Ignite Thailand” vision for long-term sustainable growth. (EXIM, 2024; PRD, 2025).
Moreover, small scale funding mechanisms have been sought to support marine and coastal development in Thailand. For example, “Koh Tao, Better Together” crowdfunding campaign. This funding aims to provide financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. In collaboration with UNDP, Krungthai Bank and Raks Thai Foundation, initiated the crowdfunding campaign, collecting about US$100,000 to help coastal communities in Koh Tao area, recovering from COVID-19 impact. By creating jobs for locals, the initiatives have contributed positively to addressing coastal environmental problems, reducing marine debris pollution and restoring the ecosystem while improving people livelihoods (World Bank, 2025).
To support decision making in ocean governance and management, Thailand has completed pilot study on Ocean Account with UNESCAP in the Adaman Provinces in 2019 and GOAP in smaller scale, the Phang-Nga Bay Ocean Accounts projects in 2024 (UNESCAP, 2019; World Bank, 2025; GOAP, 2025). The 2019 study covered five area of the Andaman provinces, focusing in developing accounts for water, energy, waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The results informed the range of environmental risks, conservation priorities and opportunities for sustainable tourism. MSP, MPAs, ecosystem-based management and the Ocean Health Index were tools employed during the study. The National Statistical Office of Thailand enhanced the finding with further data and statistical development, identifying any gaps relevant to SDG14 indicators as reference for supporting national marine and coastal policy. More recently, a pilot study in 2024 on Sustainable Tourism, the Environment and the Ocean tried to investigate the links between marine tourism and environmental impacts. The study identified that there is a strong link between excessive tourism, inadequate waste management, and water quality degradation. This finding has supported the identification of high-risk tourism sites, high priority conservation sites and potential new locations for sustainable tourism (GOAP, 2024, 2025). Two GOAP members in Thailand (National Science and Technology Development Agency and National Statistical Office of Thailand) were actively engaged in the study.
Physical
Capital.
Physical Capital.
Thailand aquatic transportation infrastructures comprise of two type of ports system: deep seaports in the coastal areas and a network of river ports along the Chaophraya River. Thailand has five main seaports that play key role in international trade and industrial development. They are Bangkok Port, Laem Chabang Port, Chieng Saen Port, Chieng Khong Port and Ranong Port that are administered by the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT). Lam Chabang Port and Bangkok Port are the two largest ports with combined handling capability over 10 million TEUs in total container volume (UNESCAP, 2020; ITA, 2024). PEMSEA reported that there are three different types of port in Thailand: shipping, passenger, and fishing ports. The number of fishing ports in accounted for 1,043 which is the highest followed by shipping and passenger ports that are 144 and 77 ports, respectively (PEMSEA, 2018).
Despite this foundation, Thailand’s marine transportation and logistics systems face limitations that constrain the full potential of blue economy development. Inadequate infrastructure and weak connectivity hinder the efficiency of logistics chains and integration with global trade networks. Recognizing this, infrastructure development has been prioritized in the Thirteenth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023–2027). These efforts signal Thailand’s intent to strengthen its physical capital and enhance its readiness for a more robust and inclusive blue economy.
Human
Capital.
Human Capital.
Thailand’s Human Development Index (HDI) in 2023 stands at 0.798, placing it in the ‘high human development’ category and ranking 76th globally. Within ASEAN, Thailand holds the fourth position, following Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and Malaysia (UNDP, 2025). This reflects steady progress in socio-economic development and human capacity building.
Coastal provinces play a significant role in Thailand’s employment landscape, contributing over 26 percent of total jobs. These are concentrated in agriculture (including fisheries and aquaculture), manufacturing, and trade-related services. Thailand’s long-standing expertise in aquaculture has fostered a capable and entrepreneurial workforce, particularly among fish and shrimp farmers. However, technical and financial limitations continue to pose challenges in meeting international certification standards, which could unlock greater market access and sustainability outcomes (PEMSEA, 2018).
Overall, Thailand’s human capital presents a strong foundation for blue economy development, with opportunities to further enhance skills, standards, and institutional support to meet global benchmarks and drive inclusive growth.
Social
Capital.
Social Capital.
Thailand’s social capital in the context of the blue economy is shaped by a complex governance landscape and a policy framework that integrates marine and coastal development into broader national planning. While the country does not have a standalone national marine policy, the five-year national development plans serve as the primary guiding framework. Marine-related laws and regulations exist, but many are outdated and require revision to effectively manage marine and coastal resources and meet international obligations such as UNCLOS.
The absence of a single coordinating ministry for blue economy development presents a challenge. Marine sectors are distributed across multiple ministries and departments, resulting in fragmented governance and sector-specific objectives that lack overarching strategic alignment. This has led to difficulties in measuring progress and assessing the impact of blue economy initiatives.
Thailand’s approach, similar to other ASEAN countries like Brunei, Cambodia, and Singapore, incorporates blue economy elements into various national documents rather than through a dedicated policy. While this allows for broad inclusion, it can also create gaps in coordination and coherence. These challenges are evident in the implementation of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM), led by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), where issues such as inter-agency coordination, stakeholder engagement, long-term financing, and consistent monitoring remain pressing (Satumantpan & Chuenpagdee, 2022).
Efforts to advance marine spatial planning (MSP) further highlight the need for participatory governance that integrates both top-down and bottom-up approaches (World Bank, 2025). Strengthening institutional collaboration and enhancing stakeholder involvement will be key to improving Thailand’s social capital and ensuring a more cohesive and inclusive blue economy transition.
Natural
Capital.
Natural Capital.
Thailand has identified several environmental threats to its marine ecosystems, including overfishing, pollution, habitat degradation, and climate change impacts (Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council, Office of the Prime Minister, 2023). In response, the country has adopted ecosystem-based approaches to marine conservation, supported by legislative frameworks and international collaboration. Key initiatives include the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) and the initiation of marine spatial planning (MSP) with assistance from the World Bank.
Thailand’s MPA network is extensive and diverse, comprising 26 national marine parks, 9 coastal non-hunting zones, 160 reserved mangrove forest sites, 56 marine fishery sanctuaries, and 6 environmental protection areas. These protected areas are backed by a suite of legislative instruments such as the National Park Act (1961), the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act (1992), the Forest Act (1941), the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act (1992), and the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries (2015). According to PEMSEA, MPAs cover approximately 18,136 km², accounting for 5.6 percent of Thailand’s maritime zone.
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) leads the implementation of these conservation efforts and is actively working to expand the network of marine and coastal protected areas. These actions reflect Thailand’s growing commitment to preserving its natural capital and integrating environmental stewardship into its broader blue economy strategy (PEMSEA, 2018).
Implementation Capacity
Implementation Capacity
implementation ready
Thailand is one of the region’s most resource-rich nations, with abundant marine and coastal assets that provide a strong foundation for blue economy development. Its dynamic economy and established maritime sectors further reinforce this potential.
While institutional capacity constraints, such as fragmented governance and limited infrastructure, pose challenges, Thailand benefits from solid enabling conditions and growing engagement in sustainability initiatives.
These strengths position the country to build momentum and advance its blue economy ambitions as capacity continues to strengthen.
