On 1 November 2024, H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, chaired a meeting of the Thai Ambassadors and Consuls-General in the South Asian region on the occasion of the visit to India to preside over the Royal Kathina Robe Offering Ceremony at Mahabodhi Vihara in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Ms. Sasirit Tangulrat, Director-General of the Department of South Asian, Middle East, and African Affairs along with the Ambassadors and Consuls-General of Thailand in South Asia.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs gave policy guidance to the Ambassadors and Consuls-General to enhance cooperation between Thailand and the South Asian region, which is becoming increasingly important in the contexts of geopolitics and geoeconomics. This region serves as a land and sea link with other regions and is a transit route for over 50% of global maritime trade. It also represents a significant market with a population of over 1.9 billion people, or more than one-quarter of the world's population, with high potential due to the expanding middle class and a large working-age population.

The meeting also exchanged information and insights on the developments in each South Asian country. Both sides agreed that the region has potential in many sectors where Thailand can collaborate for the benefit of our peoples, particularly in trade and investment, tourism, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges based on the close religious and cultural ties.