New Delhi: External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Sunday warmly welcomed Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, to India, marking the beginning of his first official four-day visit to the country. Jaiswal described the visit as an opportune occasion to deepen the strategic partnership between the two nations and reinforce their longstanding civilizational and cultural ties.

“A warm welcome to FM Sihasak Phuangketkeow on his first official visit to India as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. An opportune occasion to strengthen our Strategic Partnership and enduring civilisational ties with Thailand,” Jaiswal tweeted on X.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Thai Foreign Minister will hold several official engagements in New Delhi on November 30. The visit will continue until December 2, with a key bilateral meeting scheduled on December 1, when Sihasak Phuangketkeow will meet his Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, at Hyderabad House for detailed discussions on bilateral, regional, and global issues. The Thai delegation is expected to depart India on December 2.

This visit follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official trip to Bangkok in April, where he attended the 6th BIMSTEC Summit at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. During that visit, both leaders reinvigorated bilateral relations, elevating them to the status of a Strategic Partnership. The summit also facilitated exchanges of several agreements across multiple sectors, highlighting the broad-based nature of India-Thailand cooperation.

Among the key agreements signed were the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the India-Thailand Strategic Partnership, an MoU between Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on cooperation in digital technologies, and an MoU between India’s Sagarmala Division of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Thailand’s Ministry of Culture on the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat.

In addition, National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC) of India and Thailand’s Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) inked an MoU to promote collaboration in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. Further, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER) and Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed an MoU to facilitate regional cooperation. Another agreement was exchanged between North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC) and Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) to boost cultural and creative collaborations.

Historically, India and Thailand have enjoyed close and cordial relations. Formal diplomatic relations were established in 1947, and both countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of these ties in 2022. Over the decades, India and Thailand have strengthened cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, culture, and education, in addition to security and strategic matters. The recent elevation of relations to a Strategic Partnership underscores the growing significance of bilateral ties in the context of regional stability, economic collaboration, and shared geopolitical interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

The current visit is expected to further consolidate the multifaceted partnership. Officials from both countries will discuss ways to enhance collaboration in economic, cultural, and technological domains, with an emphasis on sustainable development and innovation. In addition, discussions on regional security, counter-terrorism, maritime cooperation, and people-to-people contacts are anticipated to form an integral part of the deliberations.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs noted that the visit comes at a time when both nations are seeking to strengthen regional connectivity, deepen trade relations, and promote investment in sectors such as digital technology, tourism, cultural heritage, and MSMEs. The collaboration is also expected to enhance opportunities for joint research, educational exchanges, and initiatives in areas of science and technology.

This engagement reflects India’s broader policy to cultivate robust partnerships with Southeast Asian countries under the framework of the Act East Policy, while Thailand continues to prioritize its relations with strategic partners in the region to advance economic development and regional stability.

The visit is being closely monitored by diplomatic and business communities, given the potential for new agreements and joint initiatives to stimulate growth and strengthen bilateral cooperation. Officials expect that discussions will also focus on aligning strategies for regional forums, including BIMSTEC and ASEAN-related engagements, and addressing emerging global challenges such as climate change, sustainable energy, and digital transformation.

With Sihasak Phuangketkeow’s visit, India and Thailand aim to reaffirm their enduring partnership, emphasizing shared civilizational ties, economic interdependence, and strategic collaboration, while setting the stage for future initiatives that reflect mutual commitment to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.