Thai Parliament gives EU deal thumbs up: Partnership set to soar

The Thai Parliament unanimously endorsed a framework agreement on the EU-Thailand Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), set to come into force within 30 days.

In a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, 612 votes supported the agreement. Thailand and the European Union (EU) originally signed the PCA on December 14, 2022, in Brussels, with former foreign minister Don Pramudwinai, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and Vice President of the European Commission, Joseph Borrell, formalising the draft.

The PCA aims to enhance political dialogue on global issues and foster cooperation across various policy areas, including the environment, energy, climate change, transport, science and technology, trade, employment and social affairs, human rights, education, agriculture, non-proliferation, counter-terrorism, anti-corruption efforts, organised crime, migration, and culture.

Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa highlighted that the EU-Thailand PCA framework agreement provides a foundation for further discussions, potentially expanding cooperation in the mentioned areas and beyond.

“This serves as a framework to be implemented under EU-Thailand PCA bilateral, regional, and international collaborations on such as trade, investment, security, and justice.”

Additional cooperation areas include human rights, science and technology, innovation, climate change, and maritime governance. The framework also contains a manual to guide both sides.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nikorndej Balankura, indicated that the PCA aims to enhance bilateral ties between Thailand and the 27 EU member states.

The EU is Thailand’s fourth-largest trade partner and sixth-largest investor, making this pact beneficial to both sides as it will help create trade and investment opportunities, especially contributing to the acceleration of Thailand EU-FTA negotiations as he said.

The agreement is expected to boost the competitiveness of Thai business sectors, improve access to research funding, and elevate Thailand’s role on the global stage. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently negotiating Schengen visa exemptions for Thai passport holders, reported Bangkok Post.