Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand paid an Official Visit to the Republic of the Philippines to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of Thailand –[...]

On 4^th July 2024, H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, paid an Official Visit to the Philippines at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, as part of the commemoration of the 75^th Anniversary of an establishment of Thailand - Philippines diplomatic relations.

During the visit, both Ministers had a bilateral discussion where they expressed the same view on an amicable relation the two countries have long shared and therefore reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including through high-level exchanges of visit and key bilateral mechanisms in 2024. In this regards, Thailand expressed readiness to host the 6^th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in October 2024 and also proposed for an Official Visit to the Republic of Philippines of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand within this year.

On security cooperation, both sides discussed cooperation on combatting transnational crimes, especially online scams, which requires regional and international efforts.

On economic cooperation, both sides agreed to enhance trade and investment, whereby major Thai investors have made large contributions to the Philippines' food security and renewable energy sector in answer to the needs of the Philippines. On this occasion, the Thai Foreign Minister requested the Philippines' government to facilitate Thai investments, in which the Philippine has reaffirmed the support and also welcomed the new investment opportunity from Thailand, especially in EV, Information Technology and Digital Infrastructure. At the same time, the Thai side expressed appreciation for the contributions of Filipino workers in Thailand, particularly in the education, hospitality, and service sectors. Both sides also agreed to enhance tourism cooperation, including in the area of sustainable tourism and expansion of flight routes.

Both Foreign Ministers also discussed key regional and international issues, including situations in Myanmar, South China Sea, and the Middle East, whereby role of and cooperation under ASEAN was indispensable.

In addition, the Thai Foreign Minister had an opportunity to discuss with Thai private sector and Team Thailand in the Philippines on investment opportunities and challenges, where the former expressed appreciation to Thai investors for conducting their businesses with social responsibility, contributing to income generation as well as economic and social development of both Thailand and the Philippines.