Duterte on first presidential visit to Thailand
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will pay an official state visit to Thailand from March 20 to 22, the Thai government announced on March 15.
It is the first official visit of Duterte after he became President of the Philippines in June 2016, although he was in Thailand once in November last year “unofficially” to pay homage to the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Ahead of his Thailand trip, Duterte will also officially visit Myanmar on March 19.
It is understood that Duterte will meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha at Government House in Bangkok, also with executives of various business and industry sectors, as well as representatives of the Filipino expat community in Thailand.
The purpose of the trip is “to strengthen bilateral ties” and also “to set the future direction in promoting relations between the two countries,” a release by the Thai Prime Minister’s office said.
Official diplomatic relations between Thailand and the Philippines go back to 1949 when each country set up an embassy in the other. Since, relations between the two have been described as “warm and friendly.”
Thailand is one of the Philippines’ major trade partners in the region and one of the Philippines’ sources of rice through Thai exports. There are also bilateral agreements and cooperation on economic, security and cultural matters including on rice trade, education, defense, investment, tourism, air services, science and technology, telecommunications, agriculture, justice and environment, as well as on strategies to combat narcotics and human trafficking.
Thailand mainly exports rice, vehicles, machinery, electronics, plastic products, cosmetics, sugar and rubber to the Philippines. The value of exports to the Philippines amounted to $6.4 billion or 3 per cent of Thailand’s overall exports in 2016.
Philippine exports to Thailand amounted to $2.1 billion or 3.8 per cent of its overall exports and comprised mainly of electronic equipment, utility vehicles, trucks, buses and machinery, mineral fuels, medical and technical equipment, tobacco, soaps, lubricants, candles, plastics, pharmaceuticals and copper.
The Philippines holds chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2017.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will pay an official state visit to Thailand from March 20 to 22, the Thai government announced on March 15. It is the first official visit of Duterte after he became President of the Philippines in June 2016, although he was in Thailand once in November last year "unofficially" to pay homage to the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej. Ahead of his Thailand trip, Duterte will also officially visit Myanmar on March 19. It is understood that Duterte will meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha at Government House in Bangkok, also with executives of various business...
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will pay an official state visit to Thailand from March 20 to 22, the Thai government announced on March 15.
It is the first official visit of Duterte after he became President of the Philippines in June 2016, although he was in Thailand once in November last year “unofficially” to pay homage to the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Ahead of his Thailand trip, Duterte will also officially visit Myanmar on March 19.
It is understood that Duterte will meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha at Government House in Bangkok, also with executives of various business and industry sectors, as well as representatives of the Filipino expat community in Thailand.
The purpose of the trip is “to strengthen bilateral ties” and also “to set the future direction in promoting relations between the two countries,” a release by the Thai Prime Minister’s office said.
Official diplomatic relations between Thailand and the Philippines go back to 1949 when each country set up an embassy in the other. Since, relations between the two have been described as “warm and friendly.”
Thailand is one of the Philippines’ major trade partners in the region and one of the Philippines’ sources of rice through Thai exports. There are also bilateral agreements and cooperation on economic, security and cultural matters including on rice trade, education, defense, investment, tourism, air services, science and technology, telecommunications, agriculture, justice and environment, as well as on strategies to combat narcotics and human trafficking.
Thailand mainly exports rice, vehicles, machinery, electronics, plastic products, cosmetics, sugar and rubber to the Philippines. The value of exports to the Philippines amounted to $6.4 billion or 3 per cent of Thailand’s overall exports in 2016.
Philippine exports to Thailand amounted to $2.1 billion or 3.8 per cent of its overall exports and comprised mainly of electronic equipment, utility vehicles, trucks, buses and machinery, mineral fuels, medical and technical equipment, tobacco, soaps, lubricants, candles, plastics, pharmaceuticals and copper.
The Philippines holds chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2017.
