India and Thailand discuss strengthening strategic partnership, people-to-people ties
Bangkok, July 24
India and Thailand continue to strengthen their strategic partnership through enhanced maritime, air, and road connectivity, deepening people-to-people ties and tourism linkages.
The discussions were held during a meeting held between India's Ambassador to Thailand, Puneet Agrawal, and Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, according to the statement released by Indian Embassy in Thailand on Friday on X.
India and Thailand elevated the bilateral ties to Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangkok in April last year.
On July 16, Agrawal met Urasa Mongkolnavin, Director-General (DG) of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs at Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held discussions on issues of mutual interest to strengthen the strategic partnership between both nations.
"Ambassador Puneet Agrawal met Mrs. Urasa Mongkolnavin, DG of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both sides exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest such as high level visits, trade and investment, people to people connect, public health and traditional medicine, etc to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between India and Thailand."
Agrawal also met Thailand Trade Representative Chutintorn Gongsakdi at the Government House, with discussions focussed on further strengthening trade and investment ties.
"Ambassador Puneet Agrawal had a cordial and fruitful meeting with H.E Mr. Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Thailand Trade Representative at the Government House. Discussions focused on further strengthening trade and investment ties between India and Thailand through identifying areas of complementarities, resolving tariff and non tariff barriers and having a balanced trade for mutual benefit," the Indian Embassy in Thailand wrote on X.
Last month, Agrawal called on Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow, with both sides discussing ways to deepen the strategic partnership by expanding bilateral trade and investment.
"Discussions focused on further strengthening India-Thailand Strategic Partnership by enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties in a balanced manner, religious, cultural and people to people linkages, connectivity initiatives and greater coordination on regional issues, among others," the Indian Embassy stated.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I appreciate the emphasis on people-to-people ties, but I hope we're also making progress on trade barriers. Indian businesses still face high tariffs on textiles and pharmaceuticals in Thailand. The potential is huge - we could be doing much more bilateral trade than the current $15 billion. Need to move from talk to action.
As someone who has traveled extensively between India and Thailand, the cultural connections are amazing. The food, the temples, the hospitality - it's like two cousins who haven't met in a while finally catching up. More direct flights between non-metro Indian cities and Bangkok would boost tourism beyond just the main routes.
Traditional medicine collaboration caught my eye! Ayurveda and Thai herbal medicine have so much to learn from each other. If we can integrate wellness tourism - combine Kerala's Ayurveda with Thailand's spa culture - that would be a massive draw for global tourists. This is a smart move beyond just politics and trade.
Good to see strategic discussions happening, but I wish the public was more informed about these partnerships. Most Indians only think of Thailand for tourism, but there's serious business potential - renewable energy, digital payments, and even defense cooperation. The media should cover these meetings more widely.
I've visited Thailand three times and the Indian diaspora there is thriving. From restaurant owners to IT professionals, they're a bridge between our cultures. More cultural exchange programs and student scholarships could take this relationship to the next level. The foundation is strong, but we need more youth engagement.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.