Thailand seeks strategic partnership with Türkiye by 2028 — Anadolu Agency
Thailand’s ambassador to Ankara, Chaturont Chaiyakam, said that Thailand seeks to establish a strategic partnership with Türkiye by 2028, when the countries will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He named the defense industry as one of the priority areas of cooperation, Anadolu Agency reports.
Chaiyakam began his work in Türkiye after presenting his credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on September 8. According to him, contacts between the peoples of Thailand and Türkiye, as well as the volume of bilateral trade, do not yet match the countries’ potential.
Trade and contacts
The ambassador estimated annual bilateral trade at around $2 billion and said there were opportunities to increase it. He also noted the potential of tourism, although the number of visitors from Thailand to Türkiye, including Cappadocia, remains small.
Chaiyakam said the sides want to raise the level of the joint economic and trade commission to the level of foreign ministers in order to discuss political, economic and other cooperation issues. He expects the joint commission could be launched in early 2027. Work is also underway to arrange high-level visits between the two countries.
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The ambassador called the decision adopted on July 21 at the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting to grant Türkiye dialogue partner status with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations an additional impetus for bilateral relations.
Defense cooperation
According to Chaiyakam, the defense industry is among Thailand’s top priorities. In November, the country plans to send high-ranking naval officials to Türkiye to familiarize themselves with defense industry enterprises. The ambassador also said he is negotiating with several companies on a joint project.
The diplomat also mentioned air connections between the countries. Thai Airways operates one or two flights a day to Istanbul, while Turkish Airlines operates at least four daily flights to Bangkok. The airlines have also signed a strategic cooperation agreement.
