On 18 September 2023, Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Deputy Permanent Secretary, on behalf of Deputy Minister and Foreign Minister, hosted a welcoming dinner in honour of Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Thailand and the delegation, which was led by H.E. Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Ambassador of Thailand to the UK.

On this occasion, DPS Busadee welcomed the UK APPG Delegation and expressed appreciation for their active role in supporting close relations between Thailand and the UK that have existed for a long time and at all levels. Furthermore, the UK is Thailand’s important partner, both in terms of trade and investment with two main dialogue mechanisms, namely the Strategic Dialogue (SD) and the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to drive bilateral relations forward. The Thai side hoped that these mechanisms would lead to the announcement of an Enhanced Trade Partnership and Thai-UK Free Trade Area in the coming future.

The visit to Thailand of Sir Graham Brady and other members of the APPG was initiated by the Royal Thai Embassy in London, with the aim of establishing good relations between the high-level officials of Thailand and UK parliamentarians, including exploring new cooperation opportunities and more UK investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).