Thailand aims to become Southeast Asia’s first BRICS member

Bangkok aims for a greater role among emerging nations in the bloc led by China, India and Russia.

Thailand will apply later this month to join the BRICS bloc of emerging nations, the government said on Tuesday, with the aim of joining other countries in the Global South to increase its presence on the global stage.

The BRICS group is centered on Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Thai government finalized plans to submit the application. If approved, Thailand will become the group’s first member from Southeast Asia.

Joining BRICS will reinforce Thailand’s role as a leader among developing countries, a government spokesperson said at a press conference after the meeting.

Some see the BRICS as a competing framework in an international order led by developed economies such as the US and Europe. China and Russia have led the bloc’s expansion, with the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Ethiopia and Egypt joining in January.

Via Nikkei Asia.