On 20 -22 April 2022, His Excellency Mr. Thani Thongpakdi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, visited India to co-chair the 6th Thailand – India Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) with His Excellency Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs of India, in New Delhi.

During the meeting on 21 April 2022 at the Leela Palace Hotel, New Delhi, both sides expressed satisfaction with the longstanding close and cordial ties, and with the reciprocal support during the height of COVID-19. Both sides discussed and agreed upon ways to further strengthen the dynamic and joint mechanisms in all areas, especially as Thailand and India are celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022. Both sides agreed to organise commemorative activities, as well as the 9th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Relations (JC) in 2022.

Both sides also agreed to further increase bilateral trade and investments to recover from the negative impacts of COVID-19 and reconvene the India – Thailand Joint Business Forum (ITJBF) between both private sectors, as well as follow-up on the implementation of projects and agreements to enhance connectivity through air, land, and sea. Methods to increase collaboration in the field of defence and security were also discussed, as well as ways to enhance future-oriented cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology, and expedite pending agreements between both sides to prepare for the next JC.

On multilateral cooperation, both sides stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in regional and international arena and welcome the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between ASEAN and India in 2022, as well as of seeking ways to increase collaboration in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) of which Thailand is currently chairing, the Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), including increase cooperation in the United Nations (UN).

During the visit, the Permanent Secretary also paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, and met with His Excellency Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of India, where both sides encouraged the increased momentum of mutual cooperation, as well as exchanged views on regional and international issues. The Permanent Secretary also had a meeting with Mr. Deepak Bagla, Managing Director and CEO of Invest India, to discuss potential opportunities of promoting investment between both countries, including exchange of visits between business delegations and potential visits to Thailand by Indian Startup Unicorns.