BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is the cooperation scheme between seven countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal. It is an essential mechanism in promoting opportunities for trade and investment, as well as tourism. The BIMSTEC cooperation is focused on seven sectors, identified by seven countries’ fields of expertise, listed below:
- Bangladesh—in the trade, investment and development sector;
- Bhutan—in the environment and climate-change sector;
- India—in the security sector;
- Myanmar—in the agriculture and food security sector;
- Nepal—in the people-to-people contact sector;
- Sri Lanka—in the science, technology, and innovation sector;
- Thailand—in the connectivity sector.

As a BIMSTEC member, Thailand plays a crucial role in driving connectivity within the region and globally, in the following ways:
- Land connectivity—by developing transport connectivity, such as highways and railways, making it easier for people to travel between and within member countries;
- Maritime connectivity—by improving ports and maritime routes in the Bay of Bengal to facilitate the movement of goods between members’ ports;
- Digital connectivity—by creating the infrastructure that enhances technology use, focusing on using digital technology to achieve added value, reduce costs, and make doing business more efficient;
- People-to-people contact—by building networking through cultural exchanges, education, and social and cultural cooperation;
- Grid connectivity—by promoting renewable energy in line with the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model for sustainability.