Proliferating bonhomie

In the 75" year of their diplomatic relationship, India and Thailand are going beyond socio-cultural ties to a multi-dimensional partnership

- VARUNA SHANKAR

India and Thailand celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations at the ninth India-Thailand joint commission meeting held in August 2022. The relationship is gaining momentum in the new global dynamics of the 21st century. As we witness a change in the global outlook, there is a simultaneous need to upgrade the historical ties. Engagement in the new areas needs to be explored. The major thrust areas for contemporary relations with India may include connectivity and economic interdependence. Thailand has been termed as India’s extended neighborhood, and the economic and cultural ties are older than 2000 years.

Background 

The roots of Indo-Thai relations are embedded in history, age-old social and cultural interactions, and extensive people-to-people contacts. The region is referred to as Kathakosha, Suvarnabhumi (the land of God) or Suvarnadvipa (the golden island) in the classical Pali and Sanskrit texts from India. The popular deities of India are worshipped in Thailand. Thai, Malay, and Javanese are the many local languages in the region, which contain significant words of Sanskrit, Pali, and Dravidian languages.

Historically, there was an estrangement of Indo-Thai relations during the cold war period, which can be attributed to the unstable political scenario in Thailand. We also witnessed no significant state visits between the two nations until 1972, when President VV Giri made the first visit to Bangkok.

Notably, the Indian-origin diasporic population in Thailand is estimated to be around 250,000.

Diplomatic relations