Thailand and Bhutan have moved forward to advance their bilateral relations and cooperation in various dimensions, especially in the fields of trade and investment, tourism, education, and renewable energy.

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan Dasho Tshering Tobgay is on an official visit to Thailand from 25 to 28 June 2023. He held a meeting with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on 26 June at Government House, where a joint press conference also took place. Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke stated that a fruitful discussion was made between the two prime ministers.

On trade and investment, Thailand and Bhutan agreed to foster closer bilateral trade relations by speeding up FTA negotiations and increasing trade volume to the targeted goal of 120 million USD as soon as possible.

Thailand is interested in exploring investment opportunities in Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), which promises to be a vibrant economic hub. The holistic vision of GMC resonates with Thailand’s shared values of technology-driven and sustainable future.

Concerning tourism cooperation, the two kingdoms are blessed with rich cultural heritage and diverse natural beauty, and look forward to promoting the “Two Kingdoms, One Destination” initiative, which will boost the tourism industry in both countries. In order to further strengthen people-to-people ties, both prime ministers looked to the possibility of establishing a “Friends of Thailand-Bhutan Group” to deepen the bonds between the peoples of the two countries.

Regarding education and technical cooperation, Thailand and Bhutan are committed to facilitating student and academic exchanges, which will enhance mutual understanding and create lasting friendships between younger generations. 

Renewable energy is another key area where the two countries can work together. By sharing expertise and best practices, Thailand and Bhutan can advance their efforts to achieve energy security, such as in hydropower, which both countries have expertise.

Thailand and Bhutan are also committed to leveraging connectivity and will work together to enhance these connections to facilitate the movement of goods and peoples. As Thailand is Bhutan’s development partner, the country will extend support in knowledge sharing in such areas as healthcare, agriculture, and technology. At the same time, Thailand looks forward to learning from Bhutan’s approaches to sustainable development, and Gross National Happiness, which resembles Thailand’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy.

On this occasion, the prime ministers of the two countries witnessed the signing of the following two MOUs:

1. Memorandum of Understanding for Academic Cooperation and Exchange of Faculty Members between Department of Medical Services, Minister of Public Health, Thailand, and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan;

2. Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism.