Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Bilateral Meeting with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand during the Official Visit of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand to Indonesia, at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday, August 03, 2026

Your Excellency Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul;

Distinguished Ministers, members of the Thai and Indonesian delegations;

Distinguished members of the media;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency Prime Minister Anutin and your delegation for being present here today in Jakarta for this official state visit and for the Second Leaders’ Consultation between Indonesia and Thailand.

This visit holds significant meaning for several reasons. First, Indonesia and Thailand are both founding members of ASEAN. We are also two major economies, and thus, our relations have a significant impact on the situation in Southeast Asia.

This is also the first official visit by a Thai Prime Minister to Indonesia in 15 years. So, after 15 years, this is the first official visit. Furthermore, this is the second Leaders’ Consultation since Indonesia and Thailand elevated the status of our bilateral relations to a strategic partnership last year. This demonstrates that the partnership between Indonesia and Thailand continues to grow and remains forward-looking.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

During our meeting, we discussed various bilateral, regional, and global issues in depth. As founding members of ASEAN, Indonesia and Thailand share a joint responsibility to maintain peace, stability, security, and foster shared prosperity in the region.

Amidst increasing global uncertainty and the growing complexity of non-traditional security challenges, Indonesia and Thailand must continue to play a leadership role in strengthening ASEAN’s resilience and relevance. To that end, we have agreed to strengthen cooperation in political and security affairs, particularly in addressing various forms of transnational crime, including online scams.

On behalf of the people of Indonesia, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the Thai Government for its assistance and close cooperation in facilitating the repatriation of Indonesian citizens who fell victim to online scams. The number of the victims is quite significant, nearly one thousand Indonesian citizens. This assistance is invaluable, proving the close ties between Indonesia and Thailand.

Once again, Your Excellency, on behalf of the people of Indonesia, I would like to convey my deepest gratitude and appreciation. Moving forward, we agreed to strengthen cooperation in information and intelligence exchange, as well as joint investigation efforts, financial flow tracking, and law enforcement coordination to dismantle transnational crime networks.

We also support the development of the Transnational Referral Mechanism (TRM) as a breakthrough to expedite the identification, protection, and safe and dignified repatriation of victims of transnational crime. We encourage the continued optimization of existing mechanisms to strengthen cooperation on security and defense issues, including through the Indonesia-Thailand High Level Committee and the Indonesia-Thailand Security Dialogue.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Economic cooperation remains a key pillar of our bilateral relations. We are optimistic that the trade target of US$20 billion by 2030 can be achieved through the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Roadmap. We also agreed to expand investment, improve market access, and deepen partnerships among business communities, including by convening the Joint Trade Commission (JTC) for the first time in history as a mechanism to discuss business opportunities and address various trade barriers. We also agreed to enhance cooperation in food security, including agricultural technology, logistics, food processing, and supply chain resilience.

In the energy sector, we encourage the establishment of the Indonesia-Thailand Energy Forum to strengthen energy security and accelerate the transition toward sustainable energy through collaboration between governments and businesses. Amid the global economic transformation, Indonesia and Thailand are also committed to strengthening digital economy cooperation, including the utilization of Local Currency Transaction (LCT) for efficiency in trade and investment. With our respective strengths in the halal industry, Indonesia and Thailand can mutually support each other in building regional and global halal industry value chains.

In terms of connectivity, we welcome the opening of new direct flight routes for Jakarta-Bangkok and Denpasar-Phuket, which are expected to further strengthen people-to-people ties between our two countries.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today’s meeting also produced several concrete outcomes. The first one is the adoption of the Indonesia-Thailand Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2026–2030, which serves as joint guidelines for strengthening future bilateral cooperation. The second one is the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in the field of education, aimed at strengthening cooperation in human resource development in both countries.

We also welcome the commitment to cooperation and investment from the private sectors, including the MoU between the Tourism Authority of Thailand and TransNusa in the fields of tourism and connectivity, as well as the MoU between BioAxel and ProConsilium regarding an organic waste processing project.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Prime Minister Anutin and I also exchanged views on various regional and global developments. We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN unity and centrality as the foundation for peace, stability, and ASEAN’s capability. Regarding Myanmar, we agreed to support ASEAN’s efforts to promote the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus through inclusive dialogue, the cessation of violence, and increased humanitarian access. Indonesia and Thailand will continue to work together to encourage ASEAN to play a constructive role in supporting sustainable peace in Myanmar. We also exchanged views on developments in the Middle East and emphasized the importance of resolving conflicts through diplomatic dialogue and respect for international law.

Your Excellency Prime Minister Anutin,

Once again, I would like to thank Your Excellency for your visit and for our shared commitment to strengthening relations between our two countries. I am confident that Indonesia and Thailand will continue to ensure that this strategic partnership brings tangible benefits to the prosperity of the peoples of both countries.

On this occasion, I would also like to express my highest appreciation to Your Excellency and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for the honorary distinction from the Royal Thai Armed Forces that will be conferred upon me. This honor is beyond my expectations, and I regard it as a reflection of trust, friendship, mutual respect, and the close relations between Indonesia and Thailand.

Thank you.

(YA/TM)