Visit Marks 70 Years of Diplomatic Ties
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will travel to New Zealand from August 20 to 22, following an earlier leg of his trip to Australia, as Thailand looks to expand markets for its exports, attract investment and strengthen strategic partnerships in the South Pacific. The visit, accompanied by a delegation of leading Thai business representatives, marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. While in Auckland, Anutin is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and sign a joint declaration formally upgrading the relationship to a strategic partnership.
The prime minister's itinerary also includes a meeting with New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and a business roundtable with Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay alongside senior business leaders from both countries. Thai officials said the visit is intended to build on decades of cooperation and open a new chapter focused on deeper economic and strategic engagement.
Trade Target Set to Triple by 2045
As part of the new partnership, Thailand and New Zealand have agreed to work toward tripling two-way trade by 2045 through closer cooperation in agriculture, digital innovation, renewable energy and supply-chain connectivity. Thai officials said they will seek greater access to the New Zealand market for agricultural products, food, consumer goods and retail businesses, while also encouraging New Zealand investment in Thailand.
The upgraded partnership follows a broader push by the Thai government to diversify its trade relationships and reduce reliance on any single market, coming as Bangkok also pursues expanded ties with Australia during the same regional trip. Officials from both countries said the strategic partnership framework would provide a structure for regular high-level dialogue on trade, investment and other areas of mutual interest in the years ahead.
