The Nikkei Asia Review on June 4 revealed that Thailand is taking the lead in creating a regional fund with its neighbors, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, to back infrastructure and other development projects and to lessen reliance on Chinese investment. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is expected to propose the idea to the leaders of the five countries in Thailand on June 16 at the 8th summit of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy, or ACMECS.  The fund will be operational by 2019, Arthayudh Srisamoot, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the Nikkei Asian Review. While Thailand is set to contribute an initial "substantive figure," likely millions of dollars, he said contributions from financial institutions and countries outside the ACMECS framework are also welcome. The proposed fund will be utilized for projects pursued under ACMECS' 2019-2023 master plan that will be adopted during the June 16 summit. Arthayudh Srisamoot said "The increasing dependence on China is a big issue in ASEAN. Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have been relying heavily on investment and trade but that comes with a trade-off of their economic freedom."

 China is rapidly stepping up its presence especially in infrastructure investment in line with its Belt and Road Initiative. Through a multinational framework between China and the five Mekong countries, Beijing has promised more than 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) in concessional loans.