On 12 May 2026, Mr. Chettaphan Maksamphan, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, had a discussion with Ms. Michelle Chan, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia on the sidelines of the 38th ASEAN - Australia Forum in Sydney, Australia. Both sides exchanged views on bilateral relations between the two countries, the outcomes of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines, as well as regional and international developments, including the current energy crisis.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary attended “The Economic Strategy Reception,”where Mr. Nicholas Moore AO, Australia’s Special Envoy for Southeast Asia, gave a briefing on “Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040,” which was launched in 2023. He also had a discussion with the Australian Deputy Secretary on increasing Australia’s investment in Thailand, especially in the fields of energy, agricultural technology, and data centre, as well as cooperation on capacity building and skills development for Thai startups and innovators.

Australia is the first ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner since 1974. This year, ASEAN and Australia commemorate the 5th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).