India hopes for closer ties as minister's visit looms

She will also make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, said Anil Wadhwa, Secretary (East) India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and attend an inauguration of the World Sanskrit Conference in Bangkok.

Economic issues would be highlighted during the visit as the two counties did well in the field of trade and investment, Wadhwa said. The two-way trade reached $9 billion in 2013. In eight months of last year the total trade of the two countries was $8.1 billion, he said.

India and Thailand have already concluded a free trade agreement during the previous Thai government – but the FTA signing was pending due to the political change in Thailand, he said.

“Given the fact that Thailand is in the process of having a new constitution, perhaps we can sign when the process is over,” Wadhwa said on Monday.

India’s new government under Prime Minister Narenda Modi has issued a number of new policies in which Thailand could play a major role, he said.

The “Make in India” campaign would provide a role for Thailand’s electronic and construction industries – while India has many “sunrise” industries such as automobiles. Thailand could provide a major supply chain for them and import heavy vehicles from India, he said.

Tourism, notably to Buddhism sites in India, has great potential, he said, noting that both countries were developing facilities such as air connectivity and electronic visa arrangements for business purposes.

India is developing satellite-link maps for Buddhism sites there. Space technology would link the sites and routes on Asean maps to reveal where exactly they linked up in parts of India, he said.

Another project using specialised technology for tourism is a cooperation on heritage sites of cities with historical links to each other, he said.

“We are now implementing satellite-link maps of fruit growing in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, especially longan. With the collaboration of our space agency, farmers can get real-time information by computer so they can sell the products where prices are rising,” he said.

India is also looking at ties with Thailand through land, maritime and air links, he said. The project of a tri-lateral highway from India to Myanmar and Thailand was in progress. The road from India to the Myanmar border is complete but the portion in Myanmar has not yet begun, he said. When built, the highway would benefit mainly Thailand as it could connect to the East West Economic Corridor, he said.

India also looked at maritime links across the Bay of Bengal from Chennai to the Thailand-invested Dawei project in Myanmar, he said. In the maritime connectivity, there were possibilities to link Phuket with attractive sites in the Andaman Sea.

Another field for India to cooperate with Thailand was in the defence industry. India has recently opened up for foreign direct investment in the sector from 25 to 49 per cent. There is potential for joint production not only for local markets of the two nations but also for third countries, he said. 

India would propose the idea when Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan visits India, he added.