On 30 October - 1 November 2026, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, accompanied H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, on an Official Visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The visit marked the first official visit to Bhutan by a Thai Prime Minister in eight years and reaffirmed the exceptionally close friendship between the two countries. Accompanying the Prime Minister on this visit were three Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers.

During the visit, the Prime Minister, as the only foreign leader, participated in Project 108, a royal initiative of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to construct 108 stupas in a single day at Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC). At the ceremony, he was also granted a royal audience with Their Majesties the King and Queen, His Majesty the Fourth King and other members of the Bhutanese Royal Family.

In the bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister and H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, the former underscored the close friendship between the two countries, further underpinned by the special ties between the two Royal Families, as reflected in the State Visit to Bhutan by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand from 25 to 28 April 2025. He also invited his Bhutanese counterpart to pay an Official Visit to Thailand to further strengthen cooperation across all areas.

On the economic front, both sides agreed to promote bilateral trade and investment by leveraging the Thailand - Bhutan Free Trade Agreement, which will enter into force on 1 January 2027. They also discussed investment opportunities for the Thai private sector in the GMC.

On development cooperation, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to remaining Bhutan's trusted development partner and further expanding cooperation in areas of mutual potential, such as public health, clean energy and agriculture, as evidenced through the signing of three cooperation documents:

(1) Public health: Memorandum of Understanding on Health Cooperation between the Ministry of Public Health of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Bhutan;

(2) Clean energy: Record of Discussion between Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency, Ministry of Finance of Bhutan and Norion Renewable Energy Limited for Technical Assistance on the Study Review and Detailed Designed of the 100 MW Tareythang Agrivoltaics Project;

(3) Agricultural finance: Memorandum of Understanding Extension Agreement Between Bhutan Development Bank Ltd. and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

On tourism and people-to-people exchanges, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of expediting negotiations on a Memorandum of Understanding on Visa Exemption for Holders of Ordinary Passports between Thailand and Bhutan. Once concluded, the arrangement would facilitate travel between the two countries, boost tourism and further strengthen people-to-people ties.

In addition, the Prime Minister met with the Thai community in Bhutan, including Friends from Thailand (FFT) volunteers, and commended their contributions to Bhutan’s development and to fostering closer relations between the two countries.