This slide is about Thailand Diplomacy and opinion of individual as person whose observation the situation in that country.

1. Thailand’s Diplomacy:Thailand’s Diplomacy:
The Way Forward- AThe Way Forward- A
Personal ViewPersonal View

2. Thailand Foreign Policy
“Forward Engagement”
•To forge cooperative ties with her immediate
neighbours and regional partners.
•To increase multi-tiered dialogues and cooperation
•At the bilateral, sub-regional, and regional levels to
reinforce the dynamism of Asia as a meaningful
partner.
• To expand its relationship with other regions such as
Central Asia, West Asia and the Middle East.

3. Major Priorities
1. Attaches great importance to immediate neighbours.
ACMECS
2. Reinvigorates ASEAN in order to strengthen ASEAN’s
solidarity and relevancy.
3. Establishes a vibrant network of an Asia-wide cooperation
under the framework of Asia Cooperation Dialogue or
ACD.
4. Conducts a proactive economic diplomacy with strategic
partners.
5. Participates actively in multilateral diplomacy.
6. Ensures that necessary MFA services, particularly on
consul matters , are rendered in an efficient and effective
manner to the grassroots people.

5. • ACMECS was established on 29 April 2003
• ACMECS comprises Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and
Vietnam(joined the group on 10 May 2004)
• ACMECS is emphasis :
-Using self-help and partnership to achieve sustainable
development;
-Creating more jobs and narrowing the income gap;
-Building block for the ASEAN’s 3 pillared communities
(the ASEAN Economic Community, the ASEAN Security
Community, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community)
• France, Germany, Japan and New Zealand as well as the Asian
Development Bank also expressed interest in taking part in this intitive
“Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic
Cooperation Strategy or ACMECS”

6. 1. The main objectives of the ACMECS are:
• To increase competitiveness and generate greater growth along the
borders;
• To facilitate relocation of agricultural and manufacturing industries to
areas with comparative advantage;
• To create employment opportunities and reduce income disparity
among the four countries;
• To enhance peace, stability and shared prosperity for all in a
sustainable manner.
2. The ACMECS activities shall be:
• Complementary to and enhance the existing bilateral and regional
economic cooperation;
• Deliverable with tangible results, utilizing comparative advantage of
each country;
• Feasible and be acceptable to the countries concerned;
• Undertaken on the basis of voluntary and equitable sharing of
benefits;
• Undertaken on the basis of consensus between the partners concerned.

7. 3. The areas of cooperation of the ACMECS include:
• Trade and Investment Facilitation:
– to capitalize the comparative advantage of the countries concerned;
– to facilitate smooth flow of goods and investment for job creation;
– to create income generation and reduce socioeconomic disparities.
• Agricultural and Industrial Cooperation:
– to strengthen and enhance cooperation efforts in agriculture and industry by
establishing and improving infrastructure facilities, joint production,
marketing and purchasing arrangements, research and development and
exchange of information.
• Transport linkages:
– to develop and utilize transport linkages among the countries concerned;
– to facilitate trade, investment, agriculture and industrial production and
tourism.
• Tourism Cooperation:
– to promote a joint strategy for tourism cooperation among the countries
concerned;
– to facilitate tourism among the four countries and from the other regions.
• Human Resources Development:
– to enhance capacity building of peoples and institutions;
– to initiate measures to develop a HRD strategy that is regionally competitive.

8. ““Greater Mekong Sub-region Cooperation orGreater Mekong Sub-region Cooperation or
GMS”GMS”
 GMS was established since 1992GMS was established since 1992
 Asian Development Bank or ADB is a main sponsorAsian Development Bank or ADB is a main sponsor
 SMS comprises comprises Thailand, Myanmar,SMS comprises comprises Thailand, Myanmar,
Cambodia, Viet Nam, Lao People's DemocraticCambodia, Viet Nam, Lao People's Democratic
Republic, and Yunnan Province in the People'sRepublic, and Yunnan Province in the People's
Republic of China.Republic of China.
 Total population of GMS is about 250 million.Total population of GMS is about 250 million.

9. The main areas of the Greater Mekong SubThe main areas of the Greater Mekong Sub
region or GMS are:region or GMS are:
 TransportTransport
 CommunicationCommunication
 EnergyEnergy
 TradeTrade
 InvestmentInvestment
 AgriculturalAgricultural
 EnvironmentEnvironment
 TourismTourism
 Human Resources DevelopmentHuman Resources Development

10. "Flagship" programs in 11 key areas"Flagship" programs in 11 key areas
 North-South Economic CorridorNorth-South Economic Corridor
 East-West Economic CorridorEast-West Economic Corridor
 Southern Economic CorridorSouthern Economic Corridor
 Telecommunication BackboneTelecommunication Backbone
 Regional Power Interconnection and Trading ArrangementsRegional Power Interconnection and Trading Arrangements
 Facilitating Cross-Border Trade and InvestmentFacilitating Cross-Border Trade and Investment
 Enhancing Private Sector Participation and CompetitivenessEnhancing Private Sector Participation and Competitiveness
 Developing Human Resources and Skills CompetenciesDeveloping Human Resources and Skills Competencies
 Strategic Environmental FrameworkStrategic Environmental Framework
 Flood Control and Water Resource ManagementFlood Control and Water Resource Management
 GMS Tourism DevelopmentGMS Tourism Development

11. Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was
established on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
• Brunei Darussalam when it joined on January 7, 1984, Vietnam
became the seventh member in 1995, and Laos and Myanmar
joined two years later in July 1997. Cambodia later joined on April
30, 1999. Thus was completed the ASEAN-10—the organization of
all countries in Southeast Asia.
Objectives:
• To strengthen the economic and social stability of the region;
• To ensure peaceful and progressive national development; and
• To ensure stability and security from external interference;

12. The Thrusts of ASEAN Economic Cooperation
The Thrusts of ASEAN Economic Cooperation include the following :
• To fully implement the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) ,signed in 1992 ;
• To become a free trade area with no tariff and non-tariff barriers among the
member countries
• To develop the region into a global base for the manufacture of value
added and technologically sophisticated products geared towards servicing
the region and world markets;
• To enhance the industrial efficiency of the region;
• To enhance the attractiveness of the region for investment and as a tourist
destination;
• To cooperate in enhancing greater infrastructural development which will
contribute towards more efficient business environment; and
• To ensure that the rich resources (minerals, energy, forestry and others) of
the region are exploited effectively and efficiently.

13. Association of Southeast Asian Nations with
China, Japan, and South Korea (ASEAN+3)
• The meeting of ASEAN+3 (China, Japan, South Korea)
was first held at the Second Informal ASEAN Summit in
16 December 1997.
• To promote greater cooperation between ASEAN and
three Northeast Asian nations with an objective of
becoming a building block for regional cooperation in
East Asia

14. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multilateral-
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (
BIMST-EC)
• BIMST-EC was established on 6 June 1997
• Member Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar,
Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand;
Objectives:
• To jointly assessing the challenges and opportunities for
economic co-operation in BIMST-EC region;
• To strengthen economic cooperation between Thailand and
countries in South Asia, Look West Policy;
• To establish a BIMST-EC Free Trade Area which signed in
BKK on 31 July 2004

15. Areas of cooperation within BIMSTEC:Areas of cooperation within BIMSTEC:
• Trade and investment led by Bangladesh, divided
into 2 categories as follows:
1.1 Goods and services with the following 8
sub-sectors
1.2 Trade and investment facilitation with 7 sub-
sectors
• Transport and Communication led by India
• Energy led by Myanmar
• Tourism led by India
• Agriculture and Fisheries led by Thailand
• BIMSTEC’s Working Mechanism

16. Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)

17. Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
• The ACD was established on June 2002 by 26 countries
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Laos
PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar,
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam, Mongolia, United
Arab Emirates and Iran, and Bhutan (at the next annual ACD’s
meeting in Pakistan)
To be admitted formally objectives:
• To serve as the missing linkage bringing together these
groupings to generate partnership and strength from diversity
• To enhance capacity-building at the region-wide dimension;
• To maintain a top-down characteristic and emphasizing positive
thinking, inclusiveness and comfort level for all participants.
• To generate partnership and strength for diversity at the region-
wide

18. Multilateral LevelMultilateral Level
 Pursues Thailand’s commitment to Millennium DevelopmentPursues Thailand’s commitment to Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) incorporated poverty’s eradication goal to 5Goals (MDGs) incorporated poverty’s eradication goal to 5thth
national Economic and social development plan.national Economic and social development plan.
 Continues support UN areas of cooperation (humanitarianContinues support UN areas of cooperation (humanitarian
assistance, promotion of human rights, non-proliferation ofassistance, promotion of human rights, non-proliferation of
nuclear weapons, human security, combating transnationalnuclear weapons, human security, combating transnational
crimes,crimes, Promote Thailand’s successful implementation of dualPromote Thailand’s successful implementation of dual
Track policy within the sufficiency economy PhilosophyTrack policy within the sufficiency economy Philosophy ).).
 Promotes (sustainable development).Promotes (sustainable development).

19. Free Trade Arrangement
• Thailand has concluded framework agreements with the
following countries :
– US, Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
– Bahrain, Closer Economic Partnership
– India, framework agreement for establishing bilateral
FTA
– Peru, Closer Economic Partnership
• Considering negotiating FTAs with Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Mexico, South Africa

20. ConclusionConclusion
 There is an increasing trend of expanding andThere is an increasing trend of expanding and
deepening regional integration at all levelsdeepening regional integration at all levels
 This trend should help bring greater prosperity andThis trend should help bring greater prosperity and
promote better understanding among countries inpromote better understanding among countries in
the regionthe region