The Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), established in 2003, brings together five member countries—Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam—with a shared vision of transforming border areas into zones of connectivity, opportunity, and shared prosperity.
This article explores concrete examples and success stories of ongoing projects under the ACMECS framework. It seeks to deepen understanding of how these initiatives generate real benefits for the subregion, member countries, and local communities. By highlighting both current projects with demonstrated impacts and future initiatives with strong development potential, the article underscores how ACMECS cooperation continues to translate strategic vision into meaningful progress and shared prosperity.
Overview of the Current Landscape of ACMECS Projects
In its earlier phase, ACMECS concentrated primarily on trade facilitation, transport connectivity, agricultural cooperation, tourism promotion, and human resource development. These areas were important because they addressed the basic foundations of subregional economic integration. The signing of the Bagan Declaration helped define these original areas of cooperation and created a shared vision for cross-border development. As the region’s needs evolved, ACMECS also broadened its agenda to include public health, environmental cooperation, industrial development, and energy cooperation. A major turning point in the evolution of ACMECS projects came with the adoption of the ACMECS Master Plan 2019–2023, which organized cooperation around three major pillars: Seamless ACMECS, Synchronized ACMECS, and Smart and Sustainable ACMECS. This framework gave clearer strategic direction to project development and shifted attention toward tangible and result-oriented initiatives.
At present, the landscape of ACMECS projects may be understood through several major clusters. The first cluster is connectivity and infrastructure development. These projects aim to improve transport systems, border logistics, energy cooperation, and digital infrastructure so that goods, services, and people can move more efficiently across borders.
The second cluster is economic integration and competitiveness. Projects in this area focus on trade and investment facilitation, harmonization of regulations, private sector promotion, and the strengthening of regional value chains. As ACMECS countries continue to grow, these initiatives help ensure that economic expansion is not fragmented, but linked through shared production networks, business cooperation, and common standards.
The third cluster is smart and sustainable development, which has become increasingly prominent in recent years. Projects under this category cover food security, sustainable agriculture, environmental management, climate resilience, public health, education, digital transformation, and technology-based entrepreneurship. For example, agricultural cooperation has moved beyond simple productivity concerns to include land suitability assessment, soil improvement, sustainable farming systems, and food security. Public health cooperation has similarly become more important, especially in light of regional vulnerabilities and the need for stronger health systems and community-based responses.
Agricultural cooperation remains one of the clearest examples of how ACMECS has translated broad policy goals into practical activities. Thailand, through relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Land Development Department, has supported training and technical exchange in land surveying, land classification, land use planning, land suitability assessment, soil development, and community volunteer networks since 2004. The adoption of agricultural cooperation principles at the 6th ACMECS Summit in Nay Pyi Taw in 2015 further reinforced this area by emphasizing rice sector development, food security, technology transfer, information sharing, Zero Hunger implementation, and contract farming. These examples show that ACMECS projects increasingly aim to generate direct benefits for rural communities, farmers, and local economies.
Another important feature of the current landscape is that ACMECS projects are increasingly linked to broader regional and international cooperation. The framework operates alongside other Mekong mechanisms such as the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Program and Mekong–Lancang Cooperation (MLC), and it benefits from support from development partners such as Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States, and New Zealand. This partner engagement broadens the range of technical expertise, financial support, and policy innovation available to ACMECS.
Thailand’s Role in Driving ACMECS Projects
Thailand has played a particularly significant role in shaping and advancing the current landscape of ACMECS projects. As one of the founding and most institutionally active member countries, Thailand’s role is visible in several dimensions, especially in capacity building, technical cooperation, infrastructure-related support, and the mobilization of external partnerships.
One of Thailand’s most important contributions lies in the area of human resource development, particularly through the work of the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA). Under the ACMECS Master Plan 2019–2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand was assigned as the lead coordinator for the Committee on Human Resource Development and Sustainable Development under Pillar 3, “Smart and Sustainable ACMECS.” Through TICA, Thailand has provided scholarships, technical training, and academic cooperation to help strengthen skills, leadership, and institutional capacity in fellow ACMECS countries.
A particularly strong example is the Royal Thai Government Scholarship: UTCC–ASEAN ACMECS Partial Grant. Following the 5th ACMECS Summit in Vientiane in 2013, Thailand offered master’s-level business administration scholarships to candidates from Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Viet Nam. The programme allocated four scholarships per country per year over two years, totaling 32 scholarships, for study in the Global MBA Programme at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. TICA covered tuition and related expenses, while the university reduced tuition fees by 50 percent.
Another important example is the MBA Offshore Program in Myanmar, implemented in cooperation with the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. This programme was tailored specifically to Myanmar and provided six scholarships per year for graduate study in Yangon and Mandalay during 2013–2015, before continuing in a second phase from 2017–2019. It was carried out in cooperation with Thai and Myanmar chambers of commerce and allocated scholarships to key Myanmar agencies such as the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Defence. This programme illustrates Thailand’s practical and flexible approach to capacity building. Instead of requiring all participants to study in Thailand, the programme brought graduate-level education closer to the partner country, thereby expanding access and directly supporting local institutional development.
Thailand also supported the Sasin–Royal Thai Government Scholarship MBA Program under the ACMECS framework. Jointly implemented by TICA and the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University, this initiative targeted candidates from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam. In this model, Sasin supported tuition fees, while TICA provided living allowances and related support.
In addition to long-term scholarship programmes, Thailand has made an equally important contribution through short-term professional training under the Annual International Training Course (AITC) programmes. These courses address practical development issues relevant to ACMECS priorities and offer a flexible mechanism for knowledge sharing. In 2017, TICA-supported programmes covered subjects such as the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy for sustainable development, green freight and logistics development, and the practical application of sustainable development principles. In 2018, training topics expanded to include postharvest technology, community-based microcredit, diversified farming systems, logistics, and rural development. In 2019, the courses focused on food safety management and sustainable rural development, while in 2020, Thailand emphasized health-related training for Myanmar, including early childhood health promotion and maternal and neonatal healthcare management. These examples show that Thailand’s support has been continuous, varied, and responsive to the real needs of partner countries.
The advantages of ACMECS projects operation
The advantages of ACMECS projects are both strategic in vision and tangible in outcomes, reflecting their multi-layered impact across the Mekong subregion.
At the subregional level, ACMECS projects play a crucial role in enhancing regional integration by enabling member countries to leverage their diverse comparative advantages. At the national level, ACMECS projects support structural transformation and economic modernization. Moreover, they provide opportunities for technology transfer, institutional capacity-building, and policy coordination among member states. At the local and societal level, the benefits of ACMECS projects become more visible in everyday life. Cooperation in sectors such as education, health, energy, and climate adaptation further strengthens social well-being and community resilience. In particular, the growing emphasis on “soft connectivity”—including knowledge exchange, human resource development, and people-to-people links—ensures that regional cooperation translates into inclusive and people-centered development.
By linking regional strategies with national priorities and local needs, ACMECS Projects serve as practical instruments for advancing sustainable growth, social progress, and shared prosperity across the Mekong subregion.
Future of ACMECS Projects
The ACMECS projects should move toward a more innovative, sustainable, and people-centered direction. Key priorities include strengthening digital connectivity, promoting green development and climate resilience, and investing in human capital and technology. At the same time, greater emphasis on inclusive growth—such as support for local communities, MSMEs, and cross-border cooperation—will ensure that benefits are widely shared. By aligning with global trends and deepening partnerships, ACMECS can enhance its competitiveness, resilience, and long-term sustainable development in the Mekong subregion.
