🗓️ Friday, November 7, 2025
📍 Singapore

🇹🇭🤝🇸🇬 Thailand & Singapore Celebrate 60 Years of Friendship — With a Green, Digital, and Delicious Twist!

The friendship between Thailand and Singapore just turned 60, and the celebration came with serious upgrades — from green energy and digital partnerships to rice and regional peace.

The milestone marks 60 years since Thailand and Singapore first established diplomatic relations in 1965 — the same year Singapore became an independent nation. Before that, Singapore had briefly been part of Malaysia (from 1963 to 1965) following its time as a British colony. Thailand was among the first countries to officially recognize the new Republic of Singapore, laying the foundation for a relationship built on trust and mutual respect.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was welcomed by his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday morning. After the honour guard ceremony and an orchid-naming tribute for Anutin and his wife, the two leaders sat down for a forward-looking bilateral meeting.

🌿 Green Economy & Energy Security Take Center Stage

Both leaders agreed: the future is clean. Thailand and Singapore reaffirmed their joint mission to go carbon neutral by 2050 and expand renewable energy cooperation.

Among the highlights was an upcoming MOU on carbon credit trading — Singapore’s first such deal within ASEAN. The two also discussed strengthening the Laos–Thailand–Malaysia–Singapore (LTMS) power grid project, enabling cross-border electricity trading powered by renewables.

“This partnership shows ASEAN can lead in the global green transition,” Anutin said after the talks.

🍚 Food Security: Rice and Regional Resilience

Singapore may be small, but it takes food security seriously — and Thailand stands ready to fill the bowl. The leaders signed a rice trade cooperation agreement, ensuring Singapore’s steady access to premium Thai rice.

The deal also opens doors for joint investment in food tech, including preservation and processing technologies that help cut waste and extend shelf life.

💻 Digital Connections & Smart Cooperation

Fintech and digital innovation were another hot topic. The two nations praised the success of the PromptPay–PayNow cross-border payment link — now a regional model for fast, low-cost digital transfers.

They also pledged to deepen cooperation on cybersecurity, data centers, and AI skills, with Singapore expressing interest in Thailand’s Digital Valley project in Chonburi — the nation’s growing tech hub.

🏥 Public Health & Elderly Care Partnership

With both countries facing aging populations, Thailand and Singapore signed an MOU on urban elderly care. The agreement aims to develop public health leadership and share expertise in preventive healthcare and smart medical systems.

💂‍♂️ Security & Regional Cooperation

Both governments committed to continuing strong collaboration on defense training and combating cross-border crime, including online fraud and digital scams. Thailand will host a major international cybercrime conference later this year, with Singapore as a key partner.

Anutin also emphasized the importance of ASEAN unity and thanked Singapore for its role in supporting regional stability, particularly in cooperation with Cambodia through a new “Joint Declaration.”

📈 Investment & Innovation on the Horizon

During the visit, Anutin also spoke at the SET Government Roadshow 2025, inviting Singaporean investors to explore Thailand’s booming high-tech sectors — from semiconductors and electric vehicles to data centers.

He described Thailand as a “gateway to ASEAN innovation,” emphasizing the nation’s readiness to partner on sustainable growth and digital transformation.

🌸 A Friendship Rooted in History

To mark the milestone, Singapore named a new orchid species in honour of Anutin and his wife — a diplomatic tradition dating back decades. The leaders also recalled King Chulalongkorn’s historic visit to Singapore and the gift of the bronze elephant statue, still standing as a symbol of Thai–Singaporean friendship.

🌏 Looking Ahead: 60 Years Strong, and Growing

As the two nations step into the next decade of partnership, both leaders agreed to keep their cooperation “forward-looking and people-centered” — focusing on clean energy, smart economies, and shared prosperity.

“Our friendship is built on trust, respect, and a shared vision for a better ASEAN,” Wong said, closing the session with a smile.