H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, paid an official visit to Brunei Darussalam on 15 – 16 January 2018 during which he had a bilateral meeting with H.E. Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei, and was granted a Royal Audience with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah of Brunei on 16 January 2018. The visit helped further strengthen the relationship between Thailand and Brunei and enhanced bilateral cooperation to achieve tangible outcomes. 

 

In the bilateral meeting with the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei, the Thai side conveyed its readiness to host the First Joint Working Group (JWG) on Agricultural Cooperation in the first half of 2018 to discuss the implementation of the MoU on Agricultural Cooperation between Thailand and Brunei which was signed during the official visit to Brunei of H.E. Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, in March 2015. The Thai side conveyed its willingness to exchange best practices and experiences in rice productivity and agriculture and thanked Brunei for their continued import of rice and sugar from Thailand.

 

Both sides were pleased at the active collaboration in many halal activities between Thailand and Brunei. The Thai side expressed their appreciation to the private sector for attending the Thailand Halal Assembly in November 2017 and expressed its willingness to attend the Halal Showcase in 2018 and 2019 in Brunei.

 

The Thai side also looks forward to furthering cooperation in the field of medicine, noting the growing number of Brunei patients traveling to Thailand and is appreciative of the signing of the MoU between BNH Medical Centre Limited and the Ministry of Health of Brunei in 2016 which is aimed at training medical personnel in Brunei as well as facilitating the transfer of patients to undergo treatment at the BNH Medical Centre Limited. 

 

The Thai side also suggested that educational cooperation should include training and offered to share its experience in the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy to support Brunei’s goal of sustainable development.

 

In the area of trade and investment, the Thai side will gladly share its experience in packaging with Brunei to facilitate the One Village, One Product policy and achieving an international standard of production. Furthermore, the Thai side recognized that both Thailand and Brunei can jointly invest in other countries in such regions as the Middle East and ASEAN. 

 

In preparation for the fourth industrial revolution, Thailand is willing to share its experiences in implementing the Thailand 4.0 policy and encouraged Brunei’s involvement under the Thailand+1 format. Furthermore, the Thai side sought to strengthen people-to-people relations by organizing friendly badminton and polo matches. 

 

The Thai side expressed its appreciation for Brunei’s continued support on the resolution regarding the Muslim minority in the Southern Border Provinces in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). They further exchanged views on various regional issues such as promoting ASEAN centrality, encouraging trust among the peoples of ASEAN through the Socio-Cultural Community pillar, and fostering greater cooperation under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). 

 

During the Royal Audience, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei expressed His appreciation of the close relationship between Thailand and Brunei and conveyed His good wishes to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun and the Prime Minister of Thailand. His Majesty expressed His wish to see further cooperation in agriculture, tourism, medicine and education as well as stronger people-to-people relations through polo and badminton matches between Thailand and Brunei.

 

Thailand and Brunei Darussalam share a close relationship, enhanced by continued exchanges of high level visits. On 6 October 2017, the Prime Minister of Thailand, attended the Royal Banquet on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darusslam. In his capacity as the representative of the Royal Brunei Government, the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam attended the Royal Cremation Ceremony of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on 26 October 2017.

 

During January to November 2017, the trade volume between Thailand and Brunei Darussalam amounted to USD 637 million, an increase of 2 percentfrom the previous year. The total import value from Brunei reached USD 562 million, primarily crude oil and natural gas. The total export value from Thailand to Brunei was USD 75 million. Main exports consist of agricultural products such as rice, agricultural industrial products such as canned food, processed seafood, sugar, canned fruit, rice products, and pet food.