On April 24, India’s Ambassador-designate to Thailand, Puneet Agrawal, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The visit was announced by the Indian Embassy in Thailand on its X account India in Thailand.
Separately, the Ministry of Defence on April 19 said that Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR, deployed as INS Sunayna, departed Phuket on April 17 and was en route to Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of its regional deployment to strengthen maritime cooperation in the Southeast Indian Ocean region.
The ship’s departure followed a three-day Operational Turnaround (OTR) in Phuket, the successful conclusion of INS Sunayna’s second port call during the deployment. During the visit, the ship conducted a range of professional, strategic and cultural engagements with the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) to deepen bilateral naval ties.
Commander Siddharth Chaudhary, commanding officer of INS Sunayna, called on Rear Admiral Sathaporn Wajarat, Chief of Staff of the Third Naval Area Command, RTN, reaffirming shared commitments to maritime cooperation. Shipboard events included a friendly football match, a joint yoga session, a formal deck reception attended by senior naval officials, and an open-ship programme to promote people-to-people exchanges.
Operational interoperability was exercised through a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with HTMS Klongyai, featuring communications drills and formation manoeuvres that the ministry said demonstrated seamless coordination and a plug-and-play capability between the two navies.
The Ministry of Defence said the visit highlighted the strong and enduring maritime partnership between India and Thailand and aligned with the MAHASAGAR vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
Source: ANI.
