Bangkok, April 8 (AseanAll) — On April 3, 2025, at the Thai Government House, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India witnessed the signing of 6 declaration and MOUs, as follows:
1) Joint Declaration on the Establishment of Thailand-India Strategic Partnership
2) MOU Between The Ministry Of Digital Economy And Society And The Ministry Of Electronics And Information Technology Of India On Cooperation In The Fields Of Digital Technologies
3) MOU Between Sagarmala Division, Ministry Of Ports, Shipping And Waterways, Government Of India And The Fine Arts Department, Ministry Of Culture For Development Of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC), At Lothal, Gujarat
4) MOU Between National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC), The Republic Of India And Office Of Small And Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), The Kingdom Of Thailand
5) MOU Between The Ministry Of Development Of North Eastern Region Of The Republic Of India And The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs On Cooperation In Artisanal Crafts And Development Of Artisanal Communities
6) MOU between North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd (NEHHDC) of India and Creative Economy Agency (CEA) of Thailand
The Thai Prime Ministers, then, presented 'The World Tipitaka: Sajjhaya Phonetic Edition' to the Indian counterpart, followed by the joint press conference. Government Spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub disclosed gist as follows:
The Thai Prime Minister, on behalf of the Thai government and people, was pleased to welcome the Prime Minister of the Republic of India and his delegation on occasion of his official visit to Thailand to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. Both countries have achieved the goal in formally elevating relations to a strategic partnership. This important milestone not only reflects strong and dynamic relations between Thailand and India, but also demonstrates commitment to a strategic partnership for growth, advancement, and prosperity of both countries and the region. The two Prime Ministers also witnessed the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding covering cooperation in the fields of information and digital technology, SMEs, development, education and culture. This reflects commitment to drive the strategic partnership to achieve tangible results.
The two leaders also agreed to enhance political and security cooperation through high-level visits, defense industry cooperation, joint military exercises, and sharing of best practices against both traditional and non-traditional threats.
In terms of economy, India is Thailand's number one trading partner in the South Asian region, with bilateral trade worth over 17 billion US dollars in 2024. The Prime Minister proposed facilitation of investment, and negotiation on the improvement of Thailand-India and ASEAN-India free trade agreements to be more comprehensive.
Thailand and India expressed their deepest condolences to Myanmar for the loss caused by the recent earthquake. As neighbors, both countries have provided immediate humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. In the longer term, Thailand and India will continue to cooperate for sustainable rehabilitation of the affected areas.
The two leaders also discussed the development of Buddhist Circuit to include other important states in India, i.e., Gujarat. This is part of the effort to link Thailand with other BIMSTEC countries. Tourism between Thailand and India has made significant progress in the past year. Visa relaxation measures for tourists have contributed to the increase in flight frequencies and the opening of new routes to attractive cities in both countries. Additionally, Thailand and India agreed to establish a consultation mechanism between the Departments of Consular Affairs to protect each other's nationals.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international situations and cooperation, especially in multilateral forums, including BIMSTEC, ASEAN, BRICS and the OECD. Thailand is ready to act as a bridge between regional and international cooperation frameworks of which Thailand is a member.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the official visit to Thailand by the Prime Minister of the Republic of India and the elevation of Thailand-India relations to a strategic partnership not only strengthen long-standing relations, but also mark an important milestone that will lay the foundation for deeper cooperation between Thailand and India.
The Indian Prime Minister expressed his appreciation toward the Thai Government for the warm welcome, and expressed his condolences to the victims of the earthquake. He highlighted cultural and religious ties between India and Thailand, especially the influence of Buddhism, as well as economic, trade, technology and security cooperation. India has provided visa-free services to Thai nationals, and commits to cooperate with Thailand on transnational crimes. Both countries also reaffirmed their shared stance on stability in the Indo-Pacific region, which is free, open, inclusive and rule-based. India is ready to participate in the BIMSTEC meeting, where Thailand, as the Chair, has been actively promoting cooperation in the region.
