BANGKOK, Thailand – Thai Trade Representative Werapong Prapha welcomed a United Kingdom delegation, led by Ron Yip, Deputy Director General for the Indo-Pacific at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, to Government House on July 24, to discuss strengthening bilateral economic partnerships. During the meeting, Thai officials congratulated the UK on its new government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham and reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to strengthening ties ahead of the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Both sides discussed advancing cooperation through the Joint Economic and Trade Committee and the Enhanced Trade Partnership. They also considered potential steps toward a future Thailand-UK Free Trade Agreement, with Thailand highlighting the need for thorough stakeholder consultations on agriculture, public health, and access to medicines to ensure balanced economic growth and public interest.
The Thai Trade Representative outlined domestic structural reforms to improve the ease of doing business and invited British investment in Thailand’s five new growth sectors: semiconductors, biotechnology and renewable energy, electric vehicles, comprehensive medical hubs, and aerospace. Thailand also reported progress on Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the European Union and requested UK support for its bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Officials noted the strong economic relationship, with bilateral trade reaching 6.85 billion US dollars in 2025. The UK remains Thailand’s fourth-largest trading partner in Europe, supported by Thai exports such as processed chicken, gems, and machinery, and imports of British scientific equipment and pharmaceuticals. Both sides committed to exploring new opportunities in clean energy and technological innovation to benefit both economies over the long term. (NNT)
