Thailand at NEAT International Forum in China, Highlighting Green Energy Transition
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nisa Pakvilai has been nominated as Thailand’s representative and received a sponsorship by NEAT China to attend the Network of East Asian Think-tanks (NEAT) Working Group meeting. The international forum, themed “Green Transition and Energy Security in APT Cooperation,” takes place from July 5-8, 2026, in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, People’s Republic of China.
During the conference, delivered a presentation titled “Green Transition & Energy Security in Thailand: A Policy Framework for a Just, Secure, and Democratic Energy Transition”. The presentation outlined Thailand’s energy policy framework, which aligns with the nation’s 20-Year National Strategy and the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030. This strategic roadmap is designed to achieve the NDC 3.0 Target of a 47% net greenhouse gas reduction by 2035, pushing toward the ultimate goal of Net-Zero Emissions by 2050. To address the current structural bottleneck where fossil fuels account for 78% of the energy mix, proposed a comprehensive framework driven by three strategic pillars
Pillar 1: Renewables & Affordability: This pillar targets a 70% renewable energy share by 2035 and mandates early retirement announcements for all existing coal power plants before the 2035 deadline. It also advocates for grid openness by allowing Third-Party Access (TPA) and enabling Direct Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for industries by 2026.
Pillar 2: EV Ecosystem & Smart Grid: Aiming for 100% Smart Grid readiness by 2050. This transition will be supported by massive investments in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and the restructuring of Time-of-Use (TOU) tariffs to synchronize with real-time loads and incentivize Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) EV charging behaviors.
Pillar 3: Community Empowerment & Talent: Focusing on “Energy Democracy,” this pillar aims to decentralize power generation. Key initiatives include providing 100% self-reliant energy access to remote households through off-grid solarization within four years. Furthermore, it highlights utilizing educational institutions as “Living Labs” for grassroots innovation and re-skilling the workforce to meet the demands of emerging Green Jobs. Thailand’s presented policy roadmap is not merely a national solution; it is envisioned as an open-source benchmark for a “Just Transition,” aiming to foster deeper energy cooperation and integration across the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) network.
