Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's two-day official visit to Jakarta on Aug 3-4 carries significant regional importance. As ASEAN's two largest economies, Thailand and Indonesia share a responsibility to help anchor the region's stability and growth.
Although the two countries elevated their ties to a strategic partnership in May 2025, the relationship has yet to reach its full potential.
Over the past decade, bilateral ties have remained relatively subdued, shaped in part by differing political trajectories—Thailand's domestic political challenges and Indonesia's democratic consolidation.
These differences have limited opportunities for closer economic and diplomatic cooperation. Nevertheless, the two countries have worked together on regional issues, including the Cambodian conflict, despite occasional differences in approach.
The foundations of the relationship date back to 1871, when King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) visited Batavia, now Jakarta, and presented a bronze elephant statue as a symbol of friendship. The statue still stands outside Indonesia's National Museum.
Despite their size and influence, bilateral trade totaled only about US$18 billion in 2024. During the visit, Anutin will hold the second Leaders' Consultation with Indonesian leaders to strengthen economic and development cooperation.
For the two leading ASEAN countries, this trade figure remains small.
When the Thai and Indonesian leaders co-chaired the first Leaders' Consultation in May 2025, they agreed to increase cooperation between Thai and Indonesian armed forces and law enforcement agencies to tackle common challenges.
These include security threats and transnational crime, especially drug trafficking and online scams, as well as exploring potential partnerships in the defense industry. Of late, Bangkok has been assisting Jakarta in repatriating victims of online scams from both Cambodia and Myanmar.
They also pledged strong support for greater two-way investment and expanded cooperation in food security, halal products, energy security, the green economy, education, and healthcare.
Apart from regional issues, top items on the bilateral agenda will include tourism cooperation, especially cruise and yacht tourism, wellness, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism.
Last year, new flights connecting Bangkok with Medan and Surabaya, and Phuket with Medan, were launched. Nearly 800,000 Indonesian tourists visited Thailand last year.
The discussions in Jakarta should focus on expanding cooperation beyond traditional sectors. In an increasingly volatile global economy, Thailand and Indonesia need deeper integration in areas such as food security, green technology, digital transformation, and connectivity.
Failure to do so could weaken ASEAN's overall competitiveness.
The most sensitive issue remains the crisis in Myanmar. Both countries support ASEAN centrality, but they may differ in how they address the conflict.
Indonesia has long seen itself as ASEAN's leading diplomatic actor, drawing on its prominent mediation role during the Cambodian conflict, and would like to contribute to peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
Thailand, however, shares a 2,401-kilometre border with Myanmar and must deal with refugee flows, cross-border crime, and trade disruptions.
It is hoped that during their meeting, Anutin and President Prabowo Subianto will further consolidate their countries' relations and that they will work together on Myanmar.
File photo: Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto//AFP
So far, Bangkok and Jakarta have pursued direct and pragmatic engagement with all of Myanmar's stakeholders. Furthermore, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangkhetkaew and Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono have both visited Naypyidaw.
Anutin's visit offers an opportunity to reset the relationship. By aligning their economic priorities and developing a more coordinated approach to regional security, the two countries can strengthen not only their bilateral partnership but also the broader ASEAN community.
