On 5 May 2024, H.E. Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to the OIC Summit, met with H.E. Mr. Sering Modou Njie, Minister of Defence of the Republic of The Gambia, during the 15th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia.

On this occasion, the Special Envoy conveyed the Royal Thailand's good wishes and thanked the Government of The Gambia for successfully hosting the 15th Islamic Summit Conference. In return, the Defense Minister thanked the Royal Thai Government for sending a Special Envoy and Thai delegation to this important summit in Banjul.

Both sides were pleased with the cordial ties between Thailand and The Gambia, which are known as the “Land of Smile” and the “Smiling Coast of Africa”, respectively. Both sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in development cooperation. The Special Envoy informed the Gambian Minister of Defence of the Thailand-Africa Initiative (TAI) and the Strategic Tripartite Development Partnership with the OIC and OIC Member States, for the benefit of 27 African OIC countries, including The Gambia. Furthermore, the Minister of Defence expressed the Gambia’s desire to enhance cooperation in security and human resources development with Thailand, especially in the fields of agriculture and tourism.

Both sides also shared concerns and exchanged views on the Israel - Palestine conflict which is one of the main agenda items of this Summit.