On 8 August 2021, H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, had a telephone conversation with the Honourable Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia, as requested by the Australian side. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening relations and promoting cooperation under the Strategic Partnership, which was announced in November 2020, as well as under the ASEAN-Australia framework. Priority areas of cooperation include managing and responding to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and environmental issues, as well as promoting trade and investment opportunities, digital economy, and reviving international travel. In light of this, Prime Minister Prayut also requested the Australian side to consider giving priority in allowing Thai students to be able to return to continue or further their studies in Australia.

The two Prime Ministers also exchanged views on developments in the region. Regarding COVID-19 issue, Prime Minister Prayut commended Australia for announcing COVID-19 vaccine support for various countries, including those in Southeast Asia, and extended his appreciation for the latter’s provision of 2.8 million Australian dollars to promote public health cooperation with Thailand. On this note, Prime Minister Prayut requested Australia to consider the possibility in supporting COVID-19 vaccine for Thailand. In this regard, Prime Minister Morrison highlighted the challenging situation in securing vaccines that all countries continue to face and expressed his readiness to discuss the details of this matter further with the Thai side. On the situation in Myanmar, the two Prime Ministers agreed on the necessity of a full and timely implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus as well as the critical importance of rendering fast humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. They also welcomed the appointment of Special Envoy of ASEAN Chair on Myanmar who will soon visit Myanmar with a view to encouraging all parties concerned to engage in any possible dialogue and finding a peaceful solution to the situation.