H.E. Mr. Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, will lead an official and business delegation to visit Thailand during 15 – 17 January 2019, which will be the first-ever official visit to Thailand by a sitting prime minister of the Czech Republic. 

 

During the visit, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic will have a meeting with H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, with a view to strengthening relations and deepening economic cooperation between Thailand and the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is a member of the European Union which has registered a steady economic growth over the past few years. The country has been a centre of European industry and advancement in science, technology and innovation for centuries. 

 

The Czech Republic attaches importance to expanding trade and investment in Asia according to its Economic Diplomacy policy, aiming at diversifying the country’s economy in order to become less dependent on trade with Europe. The country views Thailand as a hub for the Southeast Asian region, which can be a base for the distribution of Czech products to Thailand’s neighbouring countries and beyond. 

 

The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic will be accompanied by a Czech business delegation of 48 entrepreneurs and executives from 40 leading companies covering a wide spectrum of industries; for example, manufacturing, defence, automobiles and automotive parts, rail systems, electronics, aviation and aerospace, industrial technology, agricultural technology, medical technology, cyber technology, information technology, communications, and big data. They will participate in a Business Seminar co-organised by the Federation of Thai Industries and the Czech Confederation of Industry to promote business networking and matching between the private sectors of the two countries. Czech businesses have expressed their keen interest in the Thailand 4.0 Policy, the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and infrastructure projects in Thailand. 

 

Economic partnership between Thailand and the Czech Republic dates back more than a century through trade in machinery, automobiles and automotive parts. The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1974. Although Thailand and the Czech Republic are situated far away from each other and there are no direct flights, there are currently approximately 50,000 Czech tourists visiting Thailand each year and roughly the same number of Thai tourists visiting the Czech Republic.