Treasury Secretary Bessent Skips Thailand's First IMF Host Event Since 1991

The summits mark the first time Thailand has hosted these gatherings since 1991, with the government using the events to project soft power through curated cultural experiences. The meetings convene during a period of record global debt and rising energy costs, even as IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva maintains that steady economic growth has continued since the spring. Jeremy Stretch of CIBC Capital Markets noted that bond markets may not be fully accounting for the extent of current policy tightening.