PM Modi Arrives In Bangkok For 6th BIMSTEC Summit; Indian Diaspora Extends Warm Welcome

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Bangkok to participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.

Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “Landed in Bangkok, Thailand. Looking forward to participating in the upcoming official engagements and strengthening the bonds of cooperation between India and Thailand.”

Indian Diaspora Welcomes PM Modi In Bangkok

Ahead of his arrival, members of the Indian diaspora gathered in Bangkok, chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jai Hind’ in anticipation of meeting the Prime Minister.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Ravi Kumar, President of the Telugu Association, told ANI, “We are so excited to see PM Modi here today. We want more flights between Thailand and India. We look forward to more changes, as he is bringing in India now.”

Vaishali Tushar Urumkar, President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Association in Thailand, echoed similar sentiments, saying, “We are excited that PM Modi is coming here. When we were on our way (to the hotel), everyone was talking about him. We are excited to meet him.”

Another community member in Bangkok shared with ANI, “It is very nice to know that Prime Minister Modi is visiting Thailand. We are very happy to meet him today. If possible, we will discuss Thailand -India relations with him.”

PM Modi is visiting Thailand at the invitation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Outlining his travel agenda on X, the Prime Minister emphasized the significance of strengthening India’s ties with Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the broader BIMSTEC region.

“Over the next three days, I will be visiting Thailand and Sri Lanka to take part in various programmes aimed at boosting India’s cooperation with these nations and the BIMSTEC countries,” PM Modi noted.

During his stay in Bangkok, PM Modi will likely hold talks with Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra on various aspects of India-Thailand relations.

The Prime Minister is also set to meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn as part of the diplomatic engagements.

BIMSTEC Summit Highlights

According to the MEA, this marks the first in-person BIMSTEC Leaders’ Summit since the fourth edition in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2018.

The fifth summit was held virtually in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in March 2022.

This year’s theme, ‘BIMSTEC – Prosperous, Resilient and Open’, will focus on advancing regional cooperation.

The summit, scheduled for Friday, underscores India’s ongoing efforts to bolster engagement with its BIMSTEC partners in the Bay of Bengal region.

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