In mid-September, I spent a few days in Bangkok for Gastech 2026, the global meeting point for gas and LNG. Here is the video of the visit (in French), and my main takeaways.
The whole industry in one place
From 14 to 17 September, more than 50,000 professionals were expected at the BITEC exhibition centre, with 800 speakers from over 150 countries. The entire value chain was there: producers and majors (Petronas, Shell, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies and ENGIE among them), trading houses, Asian buyers and utilities, but also banks, investors, equipment makers and governments.
Natural gas and LNG remained at the centre of the discussions, but not only: hydrogen, low-carbon solutions, electrification and even artificial intelligence were also on the agenda.
Why Bangkok this year
Asia is now at the heart of energy demand growth. According to the IEA, emerging and developing economies, led by China and India, accounted for more than 80% of the increase in global energy demand in 2024.
Thailand, for its part, wants to become a regional LNG hub. Its Map Ta Phut terminals, operated by PTT, can already reload cargoes for resale in the region, and new capacity is planned by the end of the decade.
A show where deals get signed
Beyond the conferences, Gastech is a place to do business: partnerships, projects, supply contracts. According to the organiser, the 2025 edition in Milan facilitated more than $60 billion in commercial agreements and investments.
To go back to LNG basics (import terminals, flows, infrastructure), episode 4 of the podcast sets the scene:
EP 4
Natural gas and LNG: origins, flows and infrastructure
Where the gas used in France comes from, and the role of LNG, storage and biomethane.
Episode 4 · Listen on
Natural gas and LNG: origins, flows and infrastructure
Sources: Gastech (2026 opening and 2025 closing press releases); IEA, Global Energy Review 2025; Enerdata and Bangkok Post on Thailand’s LNG strategy.