External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently held a bilateral meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow in New Delhi, underscoring the longstanding friendship between India and Thailand.

Jaishankar described Thailand as a very important maritime neighbour and highlighted the historical close ties between the two nations. He expressed gratitude for the Thai minister's visit, which followed the ASEAN summit in October 2025, marking it as an important step to deepen bilateral engagement.

Reflecting on the progress in India-Thailand relations, Jaishankar recalled Prime Minister Modi's visit to Bangkok in April 2025 for the BIMSTEC Summit, during which the bilateral ties were elevated to a strategic partnership.

Several significant agreements were concluded in sectors such as handlooms and handicrafts, digital technologies, MSMEs, and maritime heritage, reflecting the expanding scope of collaboration between the two countries under their complementary policies—India's Act East and Thailand's Look West strategies.

The Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the talks covered multiple domains of mutual interest, including political cooperation, trade, investment, connectivity, start-ups, science, technology, innovation, and space.

Thailand’s request for India’s support in its bid to join BRICS during India’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2026 was also discussed, signifying the growing importance of regional and multilateral frameworks in the relationship.

In light of the dynamic geopolitical and geo-economic environment impacting both nations, Jaishankar stressed the need for regular exchanges of views on pressing issues. A particular focus of discussion was the situation in Myanmar, indicating shared regional concerns.

The Thai Minister also emphasised the urgency of enhanced cooperation to combat a surge in transnational cyber-scam networks, especially along Thailand’s borders with Myanmar and Cambodia, noting the increasing complexity and threat posed by such criminal syndicates.

The Thai minister revealed that over 1,000 Indian nationals recently fled to Thailand during a crackdown on these scam operations, with many believed to remain trapped in scam hubs operated by criminal networks.

Both sides agreed on the necessity of coordinated action between India and Thailand to tackle this shared threat. Thailand extended an invitation for India to participate in the International Conference on Global Partnerships to Combat Online Scams, scheduled to be co-hosted in Bangkok in December 2025, aiming to strengthen international cooperation on cybersecurity and fraud prevention.

This dialogue marks a sustained and strategic effort to address emerging security challenges collaboratively.

Based On ANI Report