On 20 February 2025, His Excellency Mr. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and Madame Vandara Siphandone, his spouse, paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Thailand as guests of the Royal Thai Government.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister and his spouse were granted a royal audience with Their Majesties the King and Queen at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall.

The visit also marked the beginning of the 75th anniversary celebration of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Lao PDR.

During the visit, the Prime Minister of the Lao PDR held a bilateral meeting with Her Excellency Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand, at the Government House.

In their discussion, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Thai-Lao relations in all dimensions, with a focus on maintaining regular high-level exchanges, addressing transboundary security challenges, enhancing economic and transport connectivity, and deepening people-to-people ties.

Strengthening Border Security Collaboration

The two Prime Ministers agreed to intensify collaborative efforts to address transboundary challenges affecting the people of Thailand, Lao PDR, and the broader region. Priority areas include combating narcotic trafficking, online scams, haze pollution, and shared water resource management.

Both sides committed to preventing the exploitation of their resources, including electricity, petroleum, and internet infrastructure, to disrupt illicit syndicates and their activities along the border areas.

Furthermore, they agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing haze pollution and water security. To this end, both countries will support the installation and integration of early warning systems to mitigate the impacts of PM 2.5 pollution and ensure sustainable water management at both bilateral and sub-regional levels.

Enhancing Economic Growth and Connectivity

Both leaders underscored the importance of closer economic cooperation, particularly in boosting trade and investment along the Thai-Lao border. They reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the bilateral trade target of USD 11 billion by 2027. The Thai side expressed appreciation for Lao PDR’s facilitation of Thai agricultural exports, particularly tropical fruits transiting through Lao PDR to China, and looked forward to continued support in this regard.

The two leaders also discussed opportunities to enhance logistics and transport connectivity. They agreed to jointly develop a Thai-Lao Comprehensive Strategy on Land Connectivity, particularly through road and rail linkages, to promote seamless and efficient cross-border transportation and position both countries as regional logistics hubs.

Both sides welcomed progress on existing infrastructure projects, including the imminent completion of the 5th Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (Bueng Kan - Bolikhamxay) and the upgrade of National Road No. 12 (R12), which links Thailand, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam. They also discussed future infrastructure plans, including extending the railway from Vientiane (Khamsavath) Station to Vientiane Station to connect the Thai-Lao railway with the Lao-China railway, as well as the construction of the 6th Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (Ubon Ratchathani - Salavan).

Strengthening People-to-People Ties

In recognition of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Thailand announced its plan to provide 75 scholarships for Lao students to support human resource development and the future generations of Lao PDR.

Both leaders also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional, and international issues of mutual interest. The Thai Prime Minister congratulated Lao PDR on its successful ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024 and extended an invitation for the Lao Prime Minister to attend the upcoming Mekong-Lancang Summit, which Thailand will host this year. They also discussed ways to further leverage existing sub-regional cooperation frameworks such as the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), and various Mekong development initiatives.

Signing of Key Agreements

Following their discussions, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the following agreements:

1. Plan of Action (2025-2027) for Implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on Justice and Legal Affairs Cooperation between the Ministry of Justice of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Justice of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic;
   
   
2. Technical Arrangement on Rail Passenger Transportation between the State Railway of Thailand and the Lao National Railway State Enterprise;
   
   
3. Memorandum of Understanding on Academic Cooperation between Mae Fah Luang University (Thailand) and Souphanouvong University (Lao PDR);
   
   
4. Memorandum of Understanding between the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking of Thailand (JSCCIB) and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI).