Thailand, Singapore deepen defence ties in cyber era

Thailand and Singapore have agreed to strengthen defence cooperation in several areas, including military training, cyber security and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.

Lt Gen Adul Boonthamcharoen, Thailand’s Defence Minister, welcomed Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing at the Ministry of Defence on April 27, 2026, during Chan’s working visit to Thailand from April 26-28. Singapore’s official profile lists Chan as Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence.

The visit marked Chan’s first official trip to Thailand after assuming the defence portfolio, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding the two countries’ security cooperation.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on promoting cooperation based on mutual trust. The discussions covered several areas, including joint military exercises, defence industry development and cyber security, as both countries prepare for new forms of security threats.

A key focus was cooperation on the security of critical underwater infrastructure, or CUI. Both countries agreed on the urgency of the issue, while the Thai side said it was reviewing related draft documents to help turn the cooperation into concrete action.

The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ASEAN’s role through the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting and ADMM-Plus frameworks, using them as key mechanisms to support long-term regional stability and security.