On 6-7 June 2024, Mrs. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (ASEAN SOM) and related meetings, namely the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Commission (SEANWFZ ExCom), the 17th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group (ACCWG) on Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Membership Application, the ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials’ Meeting (APT SOM), and the East Asia Summit Senior Officials’ Meeting (EAS SOM), in Vientiane, the Lao PDR.

The ASEAN SOM Meeting discussed priorities and initiatives under Lao PDR’s Chairmanship, which the Permanent Secretary reaffirmed Thailand’s full support, particularly in the area of sustainability with the plan to co-organise with the Lao PDR the “AOIP Forum: Towards UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030” on 30 August 2024 in Vientiane. The Meeting also discussed the promotion of cooperation and partnership with external partners and important issues in preparing for upcoming 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings in July 2024. On this occasion, as Country Coordinator of ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations, the Permanent Secretary also briefed the meeting on the preparation for the upcoming 39th ASEAN-Japan Forum in Bangkok.

On the sideline of the meetings, the Permanent Secretary held bilateral talks with Ms. Deborah Geels, Deputy Secretary Americas and Asia Group of New Zealand and New Zealand’s SOM Leader, and with Ms. Michelle Chan, Deputy Secretary, South and Southeast Asia Group, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia and Australia’s SOM Leader.

Furthermore, on 8 June 2024, Mr. Bolbongse Vangphaen, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, attended the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials’ Meeting (ARF SOM), highlighting the ARF's importance as the forum for discussions on practical security cooperation in the regional architecture. The Meeting also extensively discussed regional and international issues, including on Myanmar, Russia-Ukraine conflict, South China Sea, Korean Peninsula, and the Middle East.