Bangkok: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday sought to reset India and Thailand ties, with a focus on sectors such as digital technologies, culture, MSMEs, and combating human trafficking and illegal migration, amid global uncertainty unleashed by US President Donald Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs.
“Thailand holds a special place in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and the Indo-Pacific vision. Today, we have decided to strengthen our ties into a strategic partnership,” said Modi at a joint press briefing alongside Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. “Also, we discussed establishing a ‘Strategic Dialogue’ between our security agencies.”
He thanked the Thai government for its cooperation in facilitating the return of Indian victims of cybercrime. “We have agreed that our agencies will collaborate closely to combat human trafficking and illegal migration.”
The push to elevate ties between New Delhi and Bangkok comes as countries are increasingly focusing on regionalism as the post-World War 2 global order continues to come undone under the Trump administration. On Thursday, US imposed a range of tariffs on countries around the world, including India and Thailand, heightening economic turmoil.
Speaking to ThePrint, a person familiar with the matter said that for India, the answer lies in deepening engagement within BIMSTEC. This is particularly important given that the other regional organisation of which New Delhi is a part—the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)—remains moribund.
Till now, BIMSTEC, a forum to promote regional economic cooperation, has had little relevance since it was founded in 1997.
India and Thailand, its current chair, are two of the largest economies in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which also includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Its growing importance is evidenced by the fact that this is the first in-person leaders’ summit of the organisation in seven years.
“I am eager to participate in the BIMSTEC Summit tomorrow. Under Thailand’s chairmanship, this forum has gained new momentum towards regional cooperation. We congratulate the Prime Minister and her team for this achievement,” said Modi.
An overview of India – Thailand ties
From the Ramayana to Buddhism, India has long-standing religious and cultural ties with Thailand. However, the relations between the two countries on other fronts have been slow to build. While India and Thailand agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for defence cooperation as early as 2012, it was only in 2023 that all three services of the two countries participated in joint exercises.
Thailand is the second largest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which also comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. India is the regional grouping’s fourth largest trading partner and, according to the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the trade stood at roughly $15 billion last year.
The two countries, however, are working towards increasing by focusing on greater connectivity and through BIMSTEC. Bilaterally, the two countries have been working on the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project, which has remained unfinished due to the military coup in Myanmar.
If completed, it would link India’s northeast to the Pacific Ocean through Thailand—which gained fresh importance after Dhaka recently claimed it was “only” guardian of the ocean in the region.
At the BIMSTEC level, India and Thailand, along with other member states, inked the Maritime Transport Cooperation agreement earlier Thursday. Under it, the grouping agreed to develop at least 13 ports among member states, providing greater opportunities for economic linkages.
At the cultural level, India, being the birthplace of Buddhism, remains a draw for Thai tourists. Last year, the Indian government showcased relics of Buddha and two of his disciples in four cities in Thailand. The exposition saw over 4.2 million visitors in the Southeast Asian nation.
“Last year, the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha were sent from India to Thailand. It is a matter of great pleasure that more than four million devotees got the opportunity to pay their tributes. I am extremely happy to announce that the Holy Relics found in Aravalli, Gujarat in 1960 will also be sent to Thailand for an exposition,” Modi announced during the joint press briefing Thursday.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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