On August 21, 2026, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a joint press conference in Wellington after official bilateral talks. The meeting marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with both leaders signing a Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership, intending to further strengthen ties.
During the discussions, senior ministers from both sides reviewed and adopted the Joint Plan of Action 2026 – 2030, focusing on four major areas of cooperation. The first pillar centers on political and security collaboration, including efforts to combat transnational crime, online fraud, and human trafficking, and to promote information sharing between law enforcement agencies.
The second pillar emphasizes economic, trade, and innovation partnership. Both nations agreed to boost trade and investment, with targets set to triple bilateral trade to $7.5 billion by 2045. Key focus sectors include innovation, food and energy security, green economy, sustainable agriculture, and environmental protection. The two countries also plan to further strengthen the Thailand-New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership (TNZCEP) for greater business opportunities.
The third pillar seeks to advance cooperation in education, culture, and people-to-people connections, aiming to expand collaboration in education, skill development, and cultural exchanges.
The fourth pillar covers regional and multilateral collaboration, with both countries committed to working together in frameworks such as the Mekong Cooperation, ASEAN, and APEC, as well as maintaining a rules-based international order for peace and sustainable development.
Following the press conference, both Prime Ministers witnessed the signing of four key cooperation agreements. These include a cultural cooperation agreement, an education partnership between Thailand’s Office of the Civil Service Commission and Education New Zealand, a law enforcement partnership between the Royal Thai Police and New Zealand Police, and a private-sector agreement between Chata Instruments Company Limited and Aeroqual Limited.
Anutin also sought New Zealand’s backing for Thailand’s bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to which Luxon offered full support. In addition, Thai Airways International PCL (SET: THAI) announced plans to resume direct flights between Bangkok and Auckland in March 2027, aimed at enhancing travel, trade, investment, and education links between the two countries.
