Thailand’s Diplomacy: The Way Forward, A Personal View

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.

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.

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”

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.

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.

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

The main areas of the Greater Mekong Subregion or GMS are: Transport Communication Energy Trade Investment Agricultural Environment Tourism Human Resources Development

"Flagship" programs in 11 key areas North-South Economic Corridor East-West Economic Corridor Southern Economic Corridor Telecommunication Backbone Regional Power Interconnection and Trading Arrangements Facilitating Cross-Border Trade and Investment Enhancing Private Sector Participation and Competitiveness Developing Human Resources and Skills Competencies Strategic Environmental Framework Flood Control and Water Resource Management GMS Tourism Development

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 Cambodia later joined on April 30, Thus was completed the ASEAN-10—the organization of all countries in Southeast Asia.Brunei DarussalamJanuary 71984Vietnam1995LaosMyanmar1997April 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;

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 ;AFTA 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.

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion There is an increasing trend of expanding and deepening regional integration at all levels This trend should help bring greater prosperity and promote better understanding among countries in the region