On 31 January 2024, H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, delivered keynote remarks on “Thailand’s Positioning in a Volatile Global Landscape” at the “Geopolitics 2024: Global Flashpoints – Transforming Crises into Thailand’s Opportunities”, a seminar organised by Bangkok Biz News.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the necessity of revitalising and reforming Thailand’s foreign policy and economy to enable the country to navigate through the challenges faced due to the current global geopolitical context. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is focused on a “proactive economic diplomacy” currently implemented to increase the country’s competitiveness and promote investment attractiveness. This includes enhancing Thailand’s connectivity with neighbouring countries and the region, pushing forward the Landbridge project, advancing the transition towards a green economy, accelerating negotiations on high-standard FTAs, joining the OECD, and fostering an atmosphere conducive to business, as well as offering visa facilitation for foreign tourists, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Furthermore, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasised that Thailand must advance a proactive and “impactful diplomacy” in order to enhance the country’s visibility, stature, and attractiveness, as well as ensure that Thailand stays relevant and matters. He stressed that Thai foreign policy must be well-coordinated and synergised towards clear and shared strategies among relevant agencies. At the same time, it must be agile and forward-looking with proactive strategies. These would help to lay a solid foundation for Thailand to harness economic opportunities and to achieve sustainable economic recovery and prosperity for the well-being of the Thai people.