Achmad Ghiffary Mannan, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto paid an official visit to Thailand on Monday, May 19, 2025. During the visit, he met with His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn at the Amphorn Royal Palace in Bangkok, as well as with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
The primary goal of Prabowo's visit was to strengthen bilateral ties between Indonesia and Thailand.
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia consistently records a trade deficit with Thailand.
In 2024, the trade deficit stood at 1.8 billion U.S. dollars. Indonesia exported goods worth 7.703 billion U.S. dollars to Thailand, while imports from Thailand totaled 9.573 billion U.S. dollars.
This figure shows an improvement from 2023, when the trade deficit reached 3.08 billion U.S. dollars. That year, Indonesia's exports to Thailand amounted to 7.22 billion U.S. dollars, while imports reached 10.25 billion U.S. dollars.
Indonesia's exports to Thailand include oil, coal, fishery products, paper, and other goods. In return, Indonesia imports a range of products from Thailand, such as rice, machinery, vehicles, spare parts, and more.
As reported by Antara on May 19, 2025, the meeting between Prabowo and Prime Minister Paetongtarn resulted in tangible outcomes, including the establishment of a government-to-government strategic partnership. This partnership is intended as a long-term cooperation framework covering a range of key sectors.
The scope of the cooperation includes political and security collaboration, efforts to combat human trafficking and illegal gambling, as well as initiatives to boost trade, investment, and tourism.
Paetongtarn also announced that the meeting marked the beginning of regular consultations between the leaders of Indonesia and Thailand. This new diplomatic mechanism is expected to enhance communication between the two governments and serve as a strategic platform for strengthening solidarity within Southeast Asia.
– Hendrik Yaputra and Savero Aristia Wienanto contributed to the writing of this article.