On 13 June 2023, H.E. Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, led a Thai delegation to attend the 2nd Thailand-Canada Bilateral Consultations at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa, Canada. The consultations was co-chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary and Mr. Weldon Epp, Assistant Deputy Minister, Indo-Pacific Branch, Global Affairs Canada, and also joined by H.E. Mr. Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, Ambassador of Thailand to Canada, H.E. Dr. Sarah Taylor, Ambassador of Canada to Thailand and Mr. Chettaphan Maksamphan, Director-General, American and South Pacific Affairs Department.

Both parties had a fruitful and candid conversation, exchanging ways to push forward the increasing positive momentum of the bilateral relations, following the visit of H.E. Mr. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, to Thailand to attend APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting during 16-18 November 2022, and promote issues of mutual interest and shared priorities such as cooperation on trade and investment, education, science technology and innovation (STI), tourism, climate change and clean energy, as well as regional and global developments, including the situation in Myanmar and Ukraine.

Both sides also discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Thailand and Canada to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region, as well as Canada’s constructive role through existing mechanisms including ASEAN and the Ayerawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).

This iteration of the Bilateral Consultations was successfully organized for the first time as an on-site meeting, following the 1st Bilateral Consultations which was convened virtually on 15 July 2021. Thailand will be hosting the 3rd Bilateral Consultations in Thailand next year.