ACS’ read and publish agreement with Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), covering 78 institutions across the country, has resulted in more than a 50% increase in publishing from Thai authors compared to before it came into effect.
We’ve previously discussed how nationwide read and publish agreements can drive publishing growth among affiliated authors. Since the it began in April 2024, the agreement with Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has demonstrated a similar impact – not just in publishing, but also in submission and reading.
A supercharged growth in submissions
Access to an institutional agreement often has a significant effect on submissions from authors who are covered. This is partly due to an increased awareness of the breadth of journals covered under such an agreement, and partly spurred by the possibility of providing immediate open access to articles under the agreement.
Submissions to ACS journals from Thai authors were already increasing prior to the start of the nationwide agreement, but the trend has increased since April 2024—from a growth of 22% year-on-year immediately prior, to 37.2% in its first year, and a further growth of over 25% in its second.
Growth in published articles and open access
Following the increase in submissions, the number of published articles from Thai authors has also significantly increased. From an initial increase of just over 6% in 2024 (compared to 2023), the number of publications grew by 50.4% in 2025—the second year of the agreement.
Authors have also been increasingly choosing open access, too. In both 2024 and 2025, over 80% of articles published by Thai authors across all ACS journals were made immediately open access upon publication—a rate comparable to many other nationwide open access agreements, and greatly exceeding the global average of around 50% reported by the STM Association.
Comparison with regional research hotspots
When assessing the impact of open access agreements, it can be useful to compare to other countries or territories within the region as benchmarks. In this case, we’ve selected Malaysia and South Korea:
- Malaysia was chosen as it has a similar R&D expenditure to Thailand as expressed as a percentage of GDP, and a similar ratio of R&D Personnel per capita;
- South Korea was selected as a benchmark for a highly developed research sector, as its research intensity is among the highest in the world.
Thailand’s growth in published articles compares favorably to an annual growth rate of around 10% from both Malaysia and South Korea, neither of which currently benefit from a nationwide open access agreement with ACS:
Open access uptake, too, is relatively flat for Malaysia at around 30% annually, and South Korea at c. 12%, compared to over 80% for Thailand:
Given the lag time between publication and citation, it’s too early to tell at this stage the degree to which this increased availability of open access content will benefit authors in Thailand—however, our experience with similar open access agreements and the consensus across multiple reviews suggests that articles which are immediately open access at time of publication are read and cited at a higher rate than subscription-access articles.
This increased visibility—making research conducted within the country available worldwide at no charge for readers – can also help realize national research strategies. This broad communication without barriers helps demonstrate the strengths of government-funded research, and many authors who publish their results in open access formats have highlighted how it has helped build their reputations within their field.
Open access agreements help researchers take their ideas further
Reading, publishing, and open access activities in Thailand have all grown significantly since the agreement was established in April 2024, with signs suggesting continued strong support among institutions and researchers. You can find a list of articles by Thai authors here.
Open access agreements help systematize open science practices, and ensure that research can reach the widest possible audience across the world, particularly when supported by national or regional consortia.
If you represent a research consortium and are yet to benefit from an ACS open access agreement, contact your regional sales representative to discuss your options.