IMF and World Bank meetings open in Bangkok under pressure from debt and energy shocks

Finance ministers, central-bank governors and development officials are arriving in Bangkok for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, scheduled for 12–18 October. Reuters reported that more than 15,000 participants from 191 countries are expected. The institutions’ published programme shows policy sessions and major economic reports beginning on Monday and continuing through the week.

The agenda is shaped by overlapping pressures: high public debt, elevated borrowing costs, inflation and a major energy shock linked to the Middle East war. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that the global outlook is deteriorating, while World Bank President Ajay Banga has emphasised the combined effect of energy, fertiliser, debt and climate risks on poorer countries.

The IMF is due to release its World Economic Outlook on Tuesday, followed by financial-stability and fiscal assessments. Until those reports appear, forecasts attributed to the meetings remain expectations rather than new official figures. Sessions will also address sovereign debt, food security, artificial intelligence, cyber-enabled fraud and resilience in critical supply chains.

The meetings matter because policy choices by large economies and multilateral lenders affect financing conditions far beyond Bangkok, especially for countries already spending heavily on debt service and imported energy.