10th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue:
India and Thailand reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral defence cooperation and agreed to deepen collaboration in defence manufacturing, research, innovation, and capability development during the 10th Thailand-India Defence Dialogue in Bangkok, reaffirming their commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Both sides explored opportunities to build mutually beneficial partnerships between their defence ecosystems.
- The dialogue reviewed cooperation under ASEAN-led defence and security mechanisms and other multilateral frameworks.
- India and Thailand elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2025, providing a stronger foundation for defence and security collaboration.
- Thailand holds a strategic geo-location in the South-East Asian region and shares common maritime borders with India (specifically between
- India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Thailand’s western coast/Mu Ko Similan islands, delineated by the 1978 and 1993 Maritime Boundary Agreements) in the Andaman Sea, driving steady structural growth in bilateral ties.
- The defence partnership gained robust momentum through the institutional convergence of India’s Look East Policy (upgraded to Act East Policy) and Thailand’s Look West Policy, boosting comprehensive engagement across political, security, and economic landscapes.
- Structural security dialogues are managed via the Joint Working Group on Security Cooperation (initiated in May 2003), which prioritizes military cooperation, alongside regular service staff talks and multi-level exchanges.
- Bilateral defence frameworks operate primarily under the umbrella of the definitive MoU on Defence Cooperation signed in 2012, providing a long-term roadmap for joint initiatives.
- Industrial synergy has scaled up through reciprocal active engagement in major sector expositions including Aero India, DefExpo, and Thailand’s Defence & Security exhibitions facilitating the successful export of reliable Indian military equipment to the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
