Vietnam Set to Overtake Thailand as Growth Gap Widens

Southeast Asia’s economic balance shifts as Vietnam surges while Thailand stalls under structural strain

The balance of economic power in Southeast Asia is shifting faster than expected. While global growth faces pressure from geopolitical tensions and slowing trade, Vietnam is accelerating ahead—potentially overtaking Thailand in nominal GDP as early as 2026, according to projections from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Asian Development Bank. For international investors and supply chain strategists, the divergence highlights a deeper structural realignment across ASEAN’s two key economies.

Thailand, once a benchmark for industrialization in the region, is now projected to grow just 1.6% in 2026, placing it at the bottom of the ASEAN-5. This marks a sharp departure from its historical average of 3.6% growth between 2010 and 2019. Meanwhile, Vietnam continues to outperform expectations, posting an 8.02% expansion in 2025 and forecast to maintain robust growth between 6.5% and 7.2% in 2026. The widening gap is not cyclical—it reflects fundamental differences in how each economy is adapting to global disruption.

Both countries are navigating the same external shocks: weaker global demand, elevated energy prices driven by Middle East tensions, and persistent U.S.–China trade friction. Yet their responses have diverged sharply. Thailand’s slowdown is increasingly tied to structural constraints that have built up over decades. Its manufacturing base remains heavily reliant on assembly and low value-added production, with limited transition into high-tech sectors such as electric vehicles, semiconductors, or green energy. Research and development spending sits at just over 1% of GDP—far below the 4–5% levels seen in economies that successfully escaped the middle-income trap.

Demographics are compounding the challenge. Thailand is aging rapidly, second only to Singapore in Southeast Asia, with a rising dependency ratio putting pressure on productivity and fiscal sustainability. At the same time, its workforce struggles with a skills gap in digital and emerging technologies. According to global talent competitiveness rankings, Thailand lags significantly in AI and digital readiness—key drivers of next-generation growth. Domestic demand is also constrained, as household debt exceeds 90% of GDP, dampening consumption and weakening a core pillar of the economy.

Policy and investment dynamics further complicate the outlook. Political uncertainty has delayed public investment and slowed regulatory approvals, while restrictions in key sectors continue to limit high-quality foreign direct investment. Tourism recovery has been slower than expected, facing intensified competition from both Vietnam and a resurgent China. Export momentum, previously boosted by front-loaded demand, has also faded—raising concerns that Thailand is gradually losing its position in regional supply chains.

In contrast, Vietnam is capitalizing on a rare convergence of structural advantages. A young and increasingly skilled workforce, competitive labor costs, and a dense network of trade agreements—including CPTPP, EVFTA, and RCEP—have positioned the country as a central node in the “China+1” supply chain strategy. Multinational corporations, particularly from Japan and the West, are redirecting investment into Vietnam, with strong inflows into electronics, semiconductors, and electric vehicle supply chains.

Crucially, Vietnam’s growth model—often described as investment-driven and export-led—has been reinforced by aggressive public infrastructure spending and steady institutional reforms. The government’s focus on ports, industrial zones, and logistics has created a platform for sustained FDI inflows, while political stability has enhanced investor confidence. High-tech exports have emerged as a key growth engine, underpinning the country’s recent economic outperformance.

At a deeper level, the divergence reflects two economies at different stages of development. Thailand is grappling with the “middle-income trap,” struggling to upgrade its economic complexity after reaching upper-middle-income status more than a decade ago. Vietnam, by contrast, is in a rapid industrialization phase similar to Thailand’s own trajectory in the 1990s—still climbing the value chain, but with stronger momentum and policy alignment.

The question for global investors is no longer whether Vietnam can catch up—but how sustainable its acceleration will be, and whether Thailand can reinvent its growth model in time. As geopolitical fragmentation reshapes supply chains and capital flows, Southeast Asia’s next economic leader may be decided not by size alone, but by adaptability.

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Source: Vietnam Insider