Bilateral Ties Deepen As Singapore‘s Prime Minister Visits Thailand
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will undertake an official visit to Thailand on August 27-28, 2023, further solidifying the longstanding relationship between the two nations.
The visit, a testament to the strong bond between Singapore and Thailand, will focus on reinvigorating collaborations across various sectors, including defence, economics, and people-to-people exchanges.
Both nations boast close and long-standing defence relations, exemplified by joint exercises such as Exercise Cobra Gold. They also collaborate under the Singapore-Thailand Third Country Technical Training Programme, providing courses for ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste in diverse fields like public administration.
The programme stands as a unique partnership in Singapore’s ASEAN collaborations, having already conducted over 70 courses benefitting more than 1,000 officials.
Further strengthening the close ties, the two countries have established several collaborative initiatives. The Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Economic Relationship (Steer), for example, underscores their commitment to deepening economic engagement. Following the 6th Steer meeting held in Bangkok in October 2022, both nations affirmed their dedication to expanding engagement in areas like trade and investment, tourism cooperation, the digital economy, innovation, and sustainability.
Leading the Way in Southeast Asia
Thailand and Singapore consistently rank among each other’s top tourist destinations, underscoring the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries. In 2023 alone, approximately 1.9 million Singaporeans visited Thailand, while around 450,000 Thai nationals travelled to Singapore.
Economically, the two countries are interconnected, with bilateral trade reaching a substantial $41.78 billion in 2023, making them each other’s ninth-largest trading partners.
Singapore ranked as Thailand’s second-largest foreign investor in 2023, injecting an impressive $4.8 billion into the Thai economy. These investments span various sectors, including financial and insurance services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and real estate, further deepening the economic interdependence between the two nations.
During Prime Minister Lee’s visit, both sides will aim to build on these successes and explore new avenues for collaboration. In June of this year, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Thailand, where he officiated the opening of the 14th Thailand-Singapore Civil Service Exchange Programme alongside Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.
“Both countries committed to deepening engagement in areas such as sustainability, renewable energy, science and technology, digital economy and education.”
The upcoming visit will be a valuable platform for furthering these commitments and exploring new frontiers of cooperation between two key partners in Southeast Asia.
Prime Minister Lee will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Balakrishnan and officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this visit to Thailand. During his absence, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will serve as Acting Prime Minister.
What specific areas of economic collaboration are highlighted between Singapore and Thailand through the Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Economic Relationship (Steer) program?
## Fostering Deepened Ties: An Interview on Singapore-Thailand Relations
**Today, we have x** [Guest Name and Title] **joining us to discuss the upcoming visit of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Thailand. Welcome!**
**Interviewer:** Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Thailand from August 27th to 28th marks a significant event for both countries. Could you elaborate on the significance of this visit and the deepening bilateral ties?
**Guest:** Thank you for having me. This visit is indeed a testament to the robust and long-standing relationship between Singapore and Thailand. The two nations have a long history of cooperation across diverse sectors, and this visit is a demonstration of their shared commitment to further strengthen these ties.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned cooperation across diverse sectors. Can you provide specific examples of these collaborations?
**Guest:** Absolutely. Both countries have strong defense relations, participating in joint exercises like Exercise Cobra Gold and collaborating on the Singapore-Thailand Third Country Technical Training Programme, providing crucial training to officials from ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste. Economically, they have the Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Economic Relationship (Steer), which focuses on expanding trade, investment, tourism, digital economy, innovation and sustainability x** [this information is from the provided text]. ** This programme, established in x** [this information is from the provided text]. **, has already quite successful, playing a key role in the development of regional expertise.
**Interviewer:** Looking ahead, what are some key areas where we can expect to see further collaboration?
**Guest:** Given the strong existing framework, we can expect further deepening of economic ties through trade agreements and investment partnerships. Also, people-to-people exchanges, cultural collaborations, and perhaps even expanding the existing training programme are quite likely.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for providing these valuable insights. It seems these two nations are setting a standard for regional collaboration in Southeast Asia.
**Guest:** I agree. Singapore and Thailand are setting an excellent example of how nations can work together for mutual benefit and contribute to regional stability and prosperity.
**Interviewer:** Thank you again for joining us today.
