President Tharman met Thailand’s King, Queen and Prime Minister to discuss bilateral ties, regional cooperation and economic priorities.
Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited Bangkok, Thailand, on 12 October 2026 for a working visit that included a Royal Audience with Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, discussions with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and participation in the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG).
During his first Royal Audience with Their Majesties, President Tharman discussed the state of Singapore–Thailand relations. Both sides agreed that bilateral ties were in excellent shape and reaffirmed their substantial, multi-faceted partnership and the warm relations between their peoples. President Tharman also invited Their Majesties to undertake a State Visit to Singapore.
President Tharman subsequently met Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul. Both leaders acknowledged the strong and mutually beneficial economic partnership between Singapore and Thailand and exchanged views on regional developments. They also agreed on the importance of advancing regional cooperation, particularly in energy cooperation and the digital economy.
Source: Facebook/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand
Separately, on 12 October, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuw an, representing Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended a tea reception hosted by Prime Minister Anutin at Government House in honour of President Tharman. The Singapore President was visiting Thailand at the invitation of the Royal Thai Government to attend the 2026 Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the IMF and WBG, hosted by Thailand.
During the visit, both sides discussed the Thailand–Singapore Forward-Looking Strategic Partnership and the need to deliver concrete outcomes in key areas, including the digital economy, food security, energy security, fintech, capital-market connectivity, human resource development, and efforts to combat transnational crime and online scams. They also exchanged views on international developments, particularly economic issues.
Singapore and Thailand further discussed coordination on ASEAN priorities as Singapore prepares to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027, followed by Thailand in 2028.
In his capacity as Co-Chair of the WBG’s High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, President Tharman also spoke at the opening event, “Small AI: More and Better Jobs”, during the 2026 Annual Meetings. The discussion examined the relationship between artificial intelligence, job creation and tertiary education systems.
Source: MFA Singapore
