Bangkok: The Prime Minister has directed the Cabinet to expedite efforts to leverage the agreements reached during the recent official visit to Indonesia, converting them into tangible opportunities for the nation.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, disclosed that during the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul provided a report on his official visit to the Republic of Indonesia from August 3-4, 2026. The visit's objectives, which included enhancing strategic partnerships, expanding trade and investment opportunities, strengthening security cooperation, and promoting Thailand's role in ASEAN, were successfully achieved.
The Prime Minister highlighted the warm reception by the Indonesian government, with President Prabowo Subiyanto personally seeing him off at the airport. This gesture underscores the strong relationship between the leaders and sets a crucial foundation for fostering concrete cooperation between the two nations.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister informed that both countries agreed to accelerate their strategic partnership, aiming to raise bilateral trade from nearly US$20 billion to US$23 billion shortly. They also exchanged five-year action plans and signed four memoranda of understanding between private sectors to drive investment and economic cooperation.
The Prime Minister also seized the opportunity at the Indonesia-Thailand Business Forum to engage with Indonesian businesses, encouraging them to invest in Thailand and facilitating access for Thai products, services, and entrepreneurs, especially SMEs, to the vast Indonesian market of 280 million people. He urged looking beyond regional boundaries for future opportunities, as both nations collectively boast a population of 350 million and complementary strengths in agriculture, halal, energy, tourism, and digital connectivity.
On security matters, the Prime Minister noted that Thailand and Indonesia will boost cooperation in curbing transnational crimes such as call center scams, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and online crime, which directly impact citizens of both countries.
The Prime Minister also discussed with the ASEAN Secretary-General Thailand's vision for ASEAN's future, proposing three approaches: maintaining ASEAN unity, strengthening regional resilience, and prioritizing people-centered development. He reiterated Thailand's commitment to resolving the Myanmar situation in line with ASEAN's five-point consensus.
The Prime Minister's spokesperson stated that relevant agencies have been instructed to expedite the follow-up and implementation of the discussions and agreements to achieve concrete outcomes promptly. These efforts aim to transform the cooperation from the visit into substantial opportunities for economic growth, investment, employment, security, and improved quality of life for the Thai people.