H.E. Mr. M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of the Republic of India, Mrs. Salma Ansari, and their party comprising representatives from the Vice President’s Secretariat, Rajya Sabha – Upper House of the Indian Parliament, and the Ministry of External Affairs of India, will pay an Official Visit to Thailand at the invitation of General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand from 3-5 February 2016.

This Official Visit will mark the cordial relations between the two countries. During the visit, the Vice President and spouse will have an audience with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The Vice President will also visit the Royal Chitralada Projects. In addition, Prime Minister of Thailand and Vice President of India will discuss various issues of mutual interest, namely: ways and means to promote trade and investment, cooperation in tourism, culture, technical cooperation, as well as defense and security matters. Other key programmes include the Vice President’s address on “India, Thailand and ASEAN: Contours of a Rejuvenated Relationship” at Chulalongkorn University and his meeting with academicians and Indologists. Furthermore, the Vice President of India, spouse and delegates are also scheduled to visit the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) and the Grand Palace.

As the earlier visits to Thailand of the Indian Vice Presidents took place in 1958 and 1966, this Official Visit will be the first in 50 years and will serve to cement the long-standing amicable relations between the two countries and peoples, and strengthen the momentum of the ties between the two countries. The Thai-India diplomatic relations will come to its 70th anniversary in 2017.