Thailand and Pakistan have had a history of diplomatic engagements for over 60 years, and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the royal state visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen to Pakistan, a seminar was held in order to strengthen relations and economic partnership between the 2 countries.
Thailand and Pakistan formally began diplomatic relationships on October 10, 1951. Pakistan maintains an embassy in Bangkok, whereas Thailand maintains an embassy in Islamabad and a Consulate General in Karachi.
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the cordial relations between Thailand and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Thailand Post has held a seminar on the topic of “Six Decades of Thailand – Pakistan Friendship: Towards Building a Strong Economic Partnership” to further stabilize the connection between the two sides in terms of diplomatic relationship and economy. Additionally, a set of Personalized Stamps was introduced in the event as well to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the royal state visit of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit to Pakistan. The Personalized Stamps carry memorable pictures from the royal visit to Pakistan 50 years ago. The stamps are considered a token of the memorable event in the two nations’ history.
The seminar was presided over by Minister of Information and Communication Technology Anudith Nakornthap and His Excellency Sohail Mahmood, Pakistani Ambassador to Thailand.
This seminar provided the Thai private sector with useful and practical information concerning trade and investment in Pakistan given by keynote speakers who are experienced and have an in-depth knowledge in different aspects of the topic.
Pakistan is a sovereign country in South Asia. It sits at the crossroads of the strategically important regions of South Asia, Central Asia and Western Asia. It is South Asia’s second largest economy, representing about 15 percent of the regional GDP. It has also been recognized by World Bank as the most business friendly location in its region.
Thailand and Pakistan have engaged in many bilateral cooperation projects, including conferences, rice trade, gems and jewelry industry, currency swap arrangement, IT and infrastructure projects, and business investment. Mr. Sohail Mahmood said this is a very good opportunity for the 2 countries to further strengthen economic partnership as Thailand is the gateway to the ASEAN region for Pakistan, while Pakistan, on the other hand, is the gateway to Middle Eastern countries for Thailand.
His Excellency added that the key reasons Thailand should invest in Pakistan is that Pakistan has a geo-strategic location that connects to central Asian states and Gulf States. Moreover, Pakistan has plenty of trained workforce with English-speaking skills available at low wages. During January to June of 2012, total trade value between Thailand and Pakistan totalled over 525 million US dollars, and still has a lot of room to grow according to Mr. Sohail. The Thai-Pakistani chamber of commerce has also been established to facilitate trade and investment between the two countries as well.
