Summary of Weekly Press Briefing by

Director-General of Department of Information/Spokesperson of MFA

Thursday 4 July 2024 at 11.00 hrs.

Press Conference Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and MFA FB Live

1. Outcomes of Bhutanese Prime Minister’s visit to Thailand

• On 25 – 28 June 2024, H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, and spouse paid an official visit to Thailand and had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister, which represented a very timely event on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Thai-Bhutanese diplomatic relations this year.
• During the visit, they agreed to promote trade, investment, tourism, education, and medicine, as well as to expedite the negotiations on the Thailand-Bhutan FTA and welcomed the first-ever living donor renal transplant surgeries in Bhutan, which was successfully sponsored by the Royal Thai Government.
• Both sides signed two MOUs, namely (1) MOU for Academic Cooperation and Exchange of Faculty Members between Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan; and (2) MOU on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism Between Department of Tourism, Royal Government of Bhutan, and Tourism Authority of Thailand, and Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization), Royal Thai Government.
• The Prime Minister of Bhutan also had bilateral meetings with Minister of Tourism and Sports, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Bangkok Bank executives, as well as gave a lecture at Chulalongkorn University.

2. Outcomes of Foreign Minister’s visit to Cambodia

• On 27 June 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affiars paid an official visit to Cambodia to follow up on progress in various areas of cooperation, pay courtesy calls on the Prime Minister of Cambodia, as well as discuss with the President of the Senate of Cambodia, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia.
• Thailand and Cambodia hope to increase trade from currently 280 billion baht to 525 billion baht, alongside jointly develop a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to facilitate border trade and investment, which the Joint Border Committee (JBC) will discuss further. Both sides are also ready to promote the tourism businesses under the Thai Prime Minister’s Six Countries, One Destination initiative. In addition, they were also committed to strengthen cooperation in addressing cross-border issues, including haze, call center gangs, online scams, and drug trafficking.
• On this occasion, they also expressed their gratitude for the facilitation of the construction of their respective Consulates-General in Songkhla and Siem Reap.

3. India grants visa fee exemption for ordinary Thai passport holders

• On 28 June 2024, the Government of India has announced a visa fee exemption scheme for holders of ordinary Thai passports to promote tourism. The exemption applies to e-Tourist visas and is effective from 1 July to 31 December 2024. Under this scheme, Thai tourists can apply for e-Tourist visas to visit India for up to 30 days with double entry without paying any fees.
• Prior to this, the Thai Government announced a visa exemption for Indian tourists to visit Thailand for up to 30 days during 10 November 2023 to 10 May 2024 and renewed until 11 November 2024. Later on 28 May 2024, the Cabinet approved in principle the exemption of visas for foreign tourists from 93 countries/territories, including Indian tourists, to stay in Thailand for no more than 60 days.
• India’s visa fee exemption scheme for Thai tourists this time proves to be a special case made on a reciprocal basis. These tourism promotion measures of both countries has reflected close relations between Thailand and India, as well as the importance attached to people-to-people ties, which are a foundation of strong cordial bilateral relations.

4. Upcoming missions abroad:

• Official Visit to the Replubic Philipphines: the Minister of Foreign Affairs has been on an official visit to the Philipphines during 3 - 4 July 2024 at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Thailand - the Philippines diplomatic relations and will pave the way for Prime Minister’s upcoming official visit this year.
• The Foreign Minister will have a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines today to discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation in various fields, including security, trade and investment, tourism, as well as exchange views on regional and international situations of mutual interest. He already met with the Thai business community and Thai government agencies under Team Thailand in the Philippines yesterday.
• Official Visit to the People’s Republic of China: the Minister of Foreign Affiars is scheduled to pay an official visit to China from 8 to 10 July 2024, at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China.
• The Foreign Minister will co-chair the Second Meeting of the Consultation Mechanism, pay a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Han Zheng and Vice President of China, as well as have a meeting with H.E. Mr. Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Watch the full session at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/xQJjSB4McyVm3KVa/?

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