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Thailand and New Zealand have a strong, established political and economic relationship that has grown steadily since direct representation was established in early 1956. The two countries share similar perspectives on regional political, economic and security issues and have worked together since the 1950’s on regional security, most recently in multilateral operations in East Timor and Afghanistan. Thailand and New Zealand are active in APEC and the WTO, where both are members of the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting countries, and cooperate closely on a wide range of international issues. As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, New Zealand maintains close links with Thailand on regional issues and participates in the ASEAN Regional Forum.
For its part, Thailand, under Prime Minister Thaksin, is taking a lead in developing relationships beyond its immediate ASEAN neighbourhood including with North Asia, India, and the South Pacific (where it is currently seeking Dialogue Partner status with the Pacific Islands Forum).
Beginning in 1954, New Zealand has been an active partner in Thailand’s development. Over the decades New Zealand funding has focused on education, through scholarships to New Zealand universities and assistance to Thai educational institutions, and on agricultural development. Under the Volunteer Service Abroad programme, between 1963 and 1998, eighty-six New Zealand volunteers provided expertise in a wide range of sectors, predominantly related to the development of Thailand’s farm production. In partnership with Thailand, New Zealand has made a significant investment in the Mekong Institute at Khon Kaen University in North Eastern Thailand which provides human resource training for the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Khon Kaen has long been a focus of education cooperation with Thailand.
Thailand and New Zealand have longstanding, strong economic relations at both the government and private sector levels. Increasingly close business-to-business relationships are underpinning the expansion of trade. Reflecting in part the growing number of New Zealand companies who have established an in-market presence in Thailand, the Thailand/New Zealand Chamber of Commerce has a membership of around 100 companies. In New Zealand, the Thai Chapter of the ASEAN/New Zealand Combined Business Council promotes business relationships.
In addition to a trade agreement[1], which was concluded in 1981, Thailand and New Zealand have bilateral agreements covering air services and the avoidance of double taxation. Since 1997 the two governments have held regular economic consultations.
An expansion of high level exchanges between political leaders and officials in recent times has in turn led to greater cooperation on bilateral and international matters of common concern. In 2003, the New Zealand Prime Minister visited Thailand for APEC and met Thai Prime Minister Thaksin. Late last year the Thai Foreign Minister Dr Surakiart visited New Zealand for official talks. Recent years have also seen visits to Thailand by New Zealand Ministers, a visit to New Zealand by a Thai parliamentary delegation, and numerous exchanges at officials’ level in areas ranging from veterinary certification, to youth justice, to food safety.
People to people exchanges have become a key component of the bilateral relationship.
According to the 2001 New Zealand Census, more than 4,500 New Zealanders are of Thai descent, representing a significant growth in the number of Thais resident in New Zealand.
Building on longstanding links in the education field, the numbers of Thai students receiving education in New Zealand have grown in recent years. In 2003, with over 3500 students studying in New Zealand, Thailand was the leading source of fee-paying students from South East Asia in New Zealand. Many New Zealand teachers are also working in Thailand, primarily in the English language field.
Tourism provides the greatest opportunity for people-to-people links between Thailand and New Zealand, with the number of travellers growing in both directions. Over 18,700 Thais visited New Zealand in 2003 while over 60,000 New Zealanders visit Thailand each year.
Thailand and New Zealand are currently negotiating a Working Holiday Scheme. This agreement will provide opportunities for young Thais and New Zealanders to experience each other’s culture and will progressively enlarge the pool of individuals in each country with understanding and knowledge of the other. The scheme is expected to be approved in the second half of 2004.
The Asia New Zealand Foundation, an organisation working for mutual understanding between New Zealand and its Asian neighbours, has sponsored numerous activities involving Thailand, including recent academic placements in the fields of archaeological mapping and the relationship between poverty and HIV/AIDS. Asia New Zealand Foundation counts among its Honorary Advisors Dr Ajva Taulananda, President of Telecom ASIA Corporation Public Co Ltd, and Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director-General of the WTO and former Minister of Commerce.
Negotiation of a Closer Economic Partnership between Thailand and New Zealand is a clear manifestation of the growing importance the two countries attach to the bilateral relationship. Concluding a CEP will signal a significant advance in the overall relationship between Thailand and New Zealand, and also in both countries’ aspirations to develop wider regional links. The impact can be expected to extend beyond the economic sphere and promote social and cultural interaction as mutual awareness grows.
[1] This agreement, entitled Trade Agreement Between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, will need to be considered during CEP negotiations.
