India and Thailand Elevate Bilateral Ties to Strategic Partnership: What It Means
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok on Thursday (April 3). The duo discussed several issues related to trade and bilateral cooperation and also agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.
Modi began his two-day visit to Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, on April 3, to attend the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit, scheduled for April 4.
As part of the bilateral meeting, India and Thailand signed six agreements covering various sectors, including IT, maritime, MSMEs, and the handicrafts and handloom industries.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said discussions focused on strategic areas such as defence, security, maritime safety, and hydrography. “We also reiterated our commitment to working together to address challenges like terrorism, money laundering, and more,” he added.
The two countries also discussed collaboration in agriculture, MSMEs, shipping, financial technology, and space.
A Look at India-Thailand Ties
Let’s first explore what elevating bilateral ties to a strategic partnership means.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations defines bilateral relations as the establishment of permanent diplomatic ties between two states based on mutual consent, outlining procedures for official representation, protection of interests, and diplomatic privileges.
However, a strategic partnership is designed with a long-term perspective, focusing on key areas such as defense and security, economic cooperation, connectivity, counter-terrorism, and collaboration on global issues. Upgrading to a strategic partnership often leads to enhanced trade volumes and better cooperation across all discussed areas.
Strategic partnerships are also categorized as ‘enhanced’ and ‘comprehensive’ strategic partnerships. Speaking to The Print, Rajesh Rajagopalan, a professor of International Politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), explained that these terms only serve a bureaucratic purpose during foreign visits. “It serves as a deliverable. But there’s no official classification of what a strategic partnership and a comprehensive one entails, except that the latter signifies deeper cooperation in fields of security, technology, and other critical areas,” he said.
Indo-Thailand trade
According to Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade between India and Thailand reached $16.04 billion in 2023. Indian exports to Thailand were valued at $5.92 billion, while imports from Thailand to India stood at $10.11 billion.
Among ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) nations, Thailand is India’s fourth-largest trading partner, following Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Some of India’s exports to Thailand include silver bars, gold, machinery and parts, metal scrap and products, chemicals, vegetables, medicinal products, seafood (fresh, chilled, frozen, processed), vehicle parts and accessories, iron, steel, electrical machinery, household appliances, and fabrics.
On the other hand, major imports from Thailand include animal and vegetable fats and oils, chemicals, polymers of ethylene and propylene, precious stones and jewellery, and iron and steel products.
Terming the meeting ‘fruitful,’ Modi wrote, “Had a very fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok a short while ago. I expressed gratitude to the people and government of Thailand for their warm welcome and also extended solidarity with the people of Thailand in the aftermath of the recent earthquake. India’s ‘Act East’ and Thailand’s ‘Act West’ policies complement each other extremely well, opening up several possibilities for bilateral cooperation.”
Had a very fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok a short while ago. Expressed gratitude to the people and Government of Thailand for the warm welcome and also expressed solidarity with the people of Thailand in the aftermath of the earthquake a… pic.twitter.com/JD9U1sONy2
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 3, 2025
