As Indian tourists disembark from their planes at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, they are greeted by an elaborate sculpture of the Samudra Manthan in the arrival hall. On the way to the city, they may also sight two of Bangkok’s major landmarks—the spires of Wat Arun and the Giant Swing—that are redolent of Thailand’s India connections. Wat Arun’s name is derived from the Hindu god Aruna, Lord Surya’s charioteer. The Giant Swing, located in front of the Devasthan, the centre of Thai Brahmanism, is the locus of the country’s most sacred ceremony, the Tryumpavai-Tripavai, which harks back to the tradition of the recital of Tamil devotional hymns Tiruppavai and Tiruvempavai.
It is believed that Emperor Ashoka sent two emissaries, Sona Thera and Uttara Thera, to Suvarnabhumi, resulting in the spread of Buddhism there. The Indian epic Ramayana finds expression as Thailand’s Ramakien. Thus, our religious, linguistic, and cultural ties are the foundations on which the edifice of the contemporary India–Thailand partnership stands.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Thailand this week for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit and bilateral talks offers a chance to build on these deep-rooted ties and explore new areas of cooperation.
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A multidimensional relationship
Thailand is a maritime neighbour. From any point in India, the air travel duration is roughly between two to four hours. There are up to 400 flights per week between the two countries during the high season. In 2024, 2.1 million Indian tourists visited Thailand.
Both sides have exchanged regular high-level visits. We have a robust defence and security partnership. Our armed forces participate in annual or biannual exercises with Thailand. India also participates in the largest multilateral exercise in the Indo-Pacific region—the Cobra Gold exercise—co-hosted by Thailand and the United States. Security cooperation is of a high order and remains largely below the radar, which adds to its effectiveness.
Cultural and educational exchange are important aspects of our bilateral relationship. Earlier, Thai families desiring quality English-medium education often sent their wards to study in boarding schools in India. Over time, this inflow has decreased, though we still have a few thousand Thai students in Indian schools and universities. The Indian diaspora, numbering around four lakh, is an important bridge between the two countries.
Economic and commercial ties are fundamental to our bilateral relations. It was with Thailand that India signed its second Free Trade Agreement in 2003. India’s trade with ASEAN currently forms 11 per cent of our global trade. Our bilateral trade with Thailand — ASEAN’s second-biggest economy — is not insubstantial, standing at $16.9 billion (2022–2023), though the trade balance is tilted in Thailand’s favour.
Both sides are keen to operationalise the Trilateral Highway from Moreh (Manipur) to Mae Sot on the Thai–Myanmar border. That would be a game-changer. However, given the internal situation in Myanmar, the project is considerably delayed. Further, despite agreements signed in 2019, port-to-port connectivity between India’s eastern seaboard and Thailand’s west coast continues to be a work in progress.
While investment from India is around $20-30 million per annum—except in 2021, when it was approximately $125 million—inflow from Thailand to India has been higher. Especially so in 2021, when more than $500 million was invested in India’s renewable energy sector.
We cooperate closely under the ASEAN–India and East Asia Summit (EAS) frameworks. As a founding member, Thailand is a key ASEAN interlocutor for us. India and Thailand also work together in sub-regional mechanisms such as the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (India is the oldest partner of the Lower Mekong countries), BIMSTEC, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and the Ayeyawady–Chao Phraya–Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).
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Toward a strategic partnership
The 6th BIMSTEC summit will be held in Bangkok on 4 April 2025. Established in 1997 in Bangkok, the seven-member grouping—with a combined population of 1.8 billion, a combined GDP of $4.9 trillion, and external trade of around $1.88 trillion—has strategic significance. It deals with 15 sectors that are categorised into seven groups. India is the lead country for security, energy, and disaster management. Among the probable key deliverables of the BIMSTEC summit is an agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation.
Thailand’s ‘bamboo diplomacy’, marked by flexibility and adaptability, has served its interests well as it balances itself between the big powers. But it is often misread in India.
Thailand is an important regional player, with a strong manufacturing base in the automotive and electronics sectors, and laudable capabilities in agro-processing and construction. It is a popular tourist destination. Thailand, which has a good public health programme, has a great regard for India’s prowess in IT, pharmaceuticals, and vaccine development. India’s grant of 200,000 doses of the Made in India Covovax vaccine in April 2022 as part of the Quad Vaccine initiative was greatly appreciated by the Thais. Huge goodwill for India was created in 2024 when, at Thailand’s request, the Government of India sent the holy relics of Lord Buddha and two of his disciples for an extended exposition of 25 days, during which 4.2 million devotees from Thailand and neighbouring countries paid tribute.
It is, therefore, timely that Prime Minister Modi is going to Thailand not only to attend the BIMSTEC summit but also for a bilateral visit. India’s Act East policy, announced by the Prime Minister in 2014, is complemented by Thailand’s Act West policy. India’s Vision of the Indo-Pacific complements the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, articulated by Thailand during its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2019.
During his earlier visit to Bangkok in 2019 for the East Asia Summit, Prime Minister Modi presented the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, in which Thailand is an active partner.
Both countries not only need to strengthen their politico-security engagement and economic cooperation but also to expand into newer areas such as the Mekong River Basin, excavation and conservation of heritage monuments in Thailand, preservation of Tai heritage in Northeast India, and space and nuclear energy cooperation. In the wake of the recent earthquake, cooperation in the area of disaster management would be worth considering. A stable Thai baht, rising cash holdings, and relatively subdued domestic growth have led Thai companies to invest abroad, mainly in neighbouring countries, China, the US, and Europe. It would be good to tap into that resource, especially for projects such as the development of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which would benefit from Thai expertise and investment.
Thus, Prime Minister Modi’s forthcoming visit to Thailand will provide an excellent opportunity for both sides to upgrade the relationship into that of a strategic partnership. That will also be in line with the MAHASAGAR vision of regional maritime cooperation he has recently articulated.
Suchitra Durai is former Ambassador of India to Thailand. Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)