On 21 - 26 September 2026, Mrs. Urasa Mongkolnavin, Director-General of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, led a delegation comprising academic representatives from Thammasat University, Prince of Songkla University, Ubon Ratchathani University, and Chulalongkorn University on a visit to Assam, Meghalaya and New Delhi, India, to promote educational cooperation between Thailand and India’s North Eastern Region (NER).

The delegation held discussions with three leading academic institutions in Assam and three in Meghalaya to explore potential areas of cooperation. The discussions identified a number of concrete areas for cooperation, including academic seminars, academic exchanges, joint research, and postgraduate scholarship opportunities. The discussions also included the establishment of a Thai Study Center/Thai Corner. Thai and Indian academics underscored the importance of promoting knowledge exchange, expanding educational opportunities, strengthening academic capacity, and enhancing mutual understanding of the societies and cultures of Thailand and India.

During the visit, the delegation also participated in the “Brahmaputra - Chao Phraya Dialogue”, organised by Asian Confluence under the theme “Building the Northeast’s Health, Education, Youth and Enterprise Bridge with Thailand” on 22 September 2026 at Assam Royal Global University in Guwahati, Assam, and in the dialogue “The Bay of Bengal, India - Thailand Relations and the Evolving Strategic Partnership” on 23 September 2026 at the Asian Confluence Center in Shillong, Meghalaya. They explored opportunities to further strengthen Thailand - India relations and cooperation, particularly in education and connectivity between the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia, as well as opportunities to promote the Thailand - India Strategic Partnership.

Later on 25 September 2026, the delegation met with representatives of the India Foundation to exchange views on regional developments, the advancement of Thailand - India relations under the Strategic Partnership, and opportunities for further academic cooperation. In addition, the delegation had a meeting with the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi to enhance coordination with Thai academic institutions and relevant partners in India, with a view to further advancing cooperation with the NER in concrete ways.

NER is a strategic gateway connecting India with Southeast Asia, and is an important avenue for broadening Thailand - India cooperation at both the people-to-people and educational institution levels. The visit will be a foundation to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and India in 2027, and further to ASEAN - India cooperation during Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2028.