137 years of Japanese-Thai ties

Today marks the 137th anniversary of the signing of the “Declaration of Amity and Commerce between Japan and Siam”, which established modern diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The relationship between our two countries began more than 600 years ago with exchanges between the Ryukyu Kingdom and the Ayutthaya Dynasty, and since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations by the above-mentioned Declaration in 1887, our two countries have deepened our relationship of trust and cooperation.
The two countries have supported, cooperated, and conducted exchanges with each other in many fields, including economy, trade, culture, education, science and technology. As a result, a deep friendship has developed between the people of Japan and Thailand, and there is mutual understanding and respect for each other’s culture.
In the economic field, Japan and Thailand have established a close partnership and contributed to each other’s economic development. In particular, over the past 40 years, Japanese direct investment in Thailand has reached a cumulative total of approximately 4 trillion baht, contributing to Thailand’s economic growth in a wide range of fields.
In addition, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok (JCC) celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, and we hope that Japanese companies will continue to expand and deepen their partnership with Thailand.
In addition, 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Thailand. Japan’s ODA has contributed greatly to Thailand’s economic development and social infrastructure improvement. In particular, Japan’s ODA in the areas of education, health, environment, and infrastructure development has contributed to Thailand’s sustainable growth and improvement of people’s lives.
Moreover, the Thai KOSEN project, which was launched in 2019, celebrated the graduation of its first class of students this year, and should continue to send out highly skilled human resources to Thai and industrial businesses in the future.
In addition, Expo2025, Osaka, Kansai, the next World Expo, will be held from April to October 2025. Expo2025 will be a place where participants from all over the world can gather and think together about the future under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. Thailand will have a pavilion at the Expo under the theme “Thailand Empowering Lives for Greatest Happiness”, and we hope that this will be an opportunity for both countries to further revitalise exchanges and create new value for the realisation of a sustainable society.
In terms of culture, Japan and Thailand have much in common. Both countries have a rich cultural heritage, and both cherish their history while promoting new cultural exchanges in the modern era.
The Japan Foundation (JF) Bangkok Office is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and we will promote the further deepening of friendly relations between Japan and Thailand through exchanges at the younger-generation level through education, culture, and sports, all of which will be important in the future.
Japan and Thailand share common challenges, such as economic revitalisation and ageing populations, but Japan will continue to support Thailand’s development and prosperity while building an ever-closer cooperative relationship between our two countries. We fully support Thailand’s efforts to strengthen democracy and economic growth under the new administration in the hope of building a brighter future together.
As we approach these important milestones, we reflect on the longstanding friendship between Japan and Thailand and will continue our efforts to further strengthen this relationship.
As we enter a new era, I sincerely hope that our two countries will continue to work together to meet the challenges of the future.
Otaka Masato is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Thailand.