New Delhi, December 2 — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with visiting Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow for a bilateral discussion that underlined the two countries’ long-standing friendship and growing strategic ties. Jaishankar welcomed Sihasak, thanked him for accepting an invitation to visit India after their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in October, and conveyed respects for the health of the Thai Majesties, noting Thailand’s National Day on November 5.
Jaishankar described Thailand as a long-time friend and a very important maritime neighbour for India. He said India’s Act East policy aligns with Thailand’s Look West approach and recalled that the relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangkok for the BIMSTEC Summit in April 2025. He noted that several agreements were signed during that visit, covering handlooms and handicrafts, digital technologies, MSMEs and maritime heritage.
According to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides welcomed progress in cooperation across political engagement, bilateral and multilateral trade and investment, connectivity, startups, science, technology, innovation and space. Thailand expressed interest in deepening ties across these areas.
The Thai foreign minister sought India’s support for Thailand’s bid to join BRICS during India’s BRICS chairmanship in 2026. The ministers also discussed regional foreign policy challenges and reiterated their readiness to cooperate in multilateral forums to strengthen regional integration. Jaishankar emphasized the value of regular exchanges on pressing issues and said detailed talks on the situation in Myanmar were expected during the Thai minister’s visit.
A major focus of the meeting was the rising threat of transnational cyber-scam networks. Sihasak urged deeper collaboration to counter syndicates operating along Thailand’s borders with Myanmar and Cambodia and called for urgent coordinated action. He said a recent crackdown prompted more than 1,000 Indian nationals to flee to Thailand and receive emergency assistance, while many others are believed to remain trapped in scam hubs run by criminal networks across the region. Both ministers described online scams as a shared security and humanitarian concern and discussed joint responses and assistance to victims.
Thailand invited India to participate in the International Conference on Global Partnerships to Combat Online Scams and expressed interest in co-hosting the event on 17–18 December 2025 in Bangkok to advance international cooperation on the issue.
The meeting reinforced commitments to enhance strategic partnership and practical cooperation across a wide range of areas, from trade and connectivity to technology and security, reflecting growing alignment between the two neighbours.
