By The Sampadak Express
On Thursday, India and Thailand took a significant step in strengthening their bilateral ties, upgrading their relationship to a strategic partnership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra held discussions in Bangkok, focusing on ways to enhance trade, investment, and collaboration in defense, security, and countering cyber-crimes and human trafficking. Their meeting came a day ahead of the Bimstec Summit, which Thailand will host on Friday.
Thailand remains a key partner for India within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and their defense and security cooperation has been steadily growing under India’s “Act East” policy. Prime Minister Modi expressed India’s deepest condolences for the lives lost in the recent earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand on March 28, emphasizing that Thailand holds a special place in India’s “Act East” policy and its Indo-Pacific vision.“
We have decided to elevate our relationship into a strategic partnership,” Modi stated during a joint media interaction with Shinawatra. Speaking in Hindi, he also mentioned the discussions around establishing a strategic dialogue between the security agencies of both countries.
In response to growing concerns over China’s assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific, Modi reiterated India’s strong support for ASEAN unity. Both leaders voiced their commitment to promoting a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. As maritime neighbors, India and Thailand share mutual interests in regional peace, stability, and prosperity.“
We believe in the policy of development, not expansionism,” Modi stated, indirectly addressing China’s actions in the South and East China Seas. Additionally, in a social media post, he highlighted that India’s “Act East” and Thailand’s “Act West” policies complement each other, opening doors for greater cooperation.
Modi further noted that the two sides discussed cooperation in areas such as defense, security, maritime safety, and hydrography. Both countries reiterated their shared commitment to tackling global challenges, including terrorism, money laundering, and other transnational crimes.
India also expressed gratitude to Thailand for its support in repatriating Indian nationals who had been victims of cyber-crime. Last month, Thailand helped repatriate nearly 550 Indians who had been trafficked to cyber-crime centers along the Myanmar-Thailand border. These centers were primarily operated by Chinese criminal gangs targeting individuals with false promises of jobs.
The leaders also discussed strengthening cooperation in tourism, culture, and education, particularly between India’s northeastern states and Thailand. Efforts will be made to increase trade, investment, and business exchanges, particularly in sectors such as renewable energy, digital technology, electric vehicles, robotics, space, biotechnology, and startups. Modi announced the launch of free e-visas for Thai tourists, aimed at boosting people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
The two-way trade between India and Thailand reached $16 billion in 2023, with Thailand being India’s fourth-largest trade partner in ASEAN, following Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
As part of their agreements, the two sides signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs), including one for cooperation in digital technologies, another for developing the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, and one more for supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises. The two countries also finalized agreements related to India’s northeastern states, including collaborations between India’s Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region and Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, as well as between the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation and Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency.
Prime Minister Modi also emphasized the long-standing cultural and religious ties between India and Thailand, pointing out that the Ramayana’s influence is deeply embedded in Thai culture. He noted the significant exchange of scholars between the two nations from Ayutthaya to Nalanda, and how Sanskrit and Pali influences persist in Thai languages and traditions.
During the meeting, Modi announced that sacred relics found in Gujarat’s Aravallis in 1960 will be sent to Thailand. He expressed appreciation to the Thai government for issuing a special stamp to commemorate his visit, based on 18th-century Ramayana mural paintings, and for presenting him with a special edition of the Tripitaka, a Buddhist scripture collection, which was published in 2016 in honor of the reign of King Rama IX.
This upgraded strategic partnership reflects the growing importance of India-Thailand relations, paving the way for deeper cooperation across various sectors and a stronger alignment of their geopolitical interests in the region.
