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Thailand, Bangladesh to Begin FTA Talks by Year-End
Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan met with Bangladeshi Ambassador Fayaz Murshid Kazi on May 6
Thailand and Bangladesh are set to officially launch negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of 2025, aiming to enhance trade relations and expand export opportunities between the two nations.
Thai Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan announced that the FTA talks will commence towards the end of this year. The proposal was presented to Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, the Bangladeshi Ambassador to Thailand, suggesting that the Thailand-Bangladesh Joint Trade Committee meet in Bangladesh later this year to kick-start the negotiations.
This meeting will mark the formal beginning of FTA discussions between the two countries.
The proposal was made during a meeting at the Thai Commerce Ministry on Thursday, 8 May, where both parties also signed a letter of intent to initiate FTA discussions. Pichai noted that senior trade officials from both sides would engage in consultations via online platforms to develop the framework for negotiations, set to begin later in 2025.
In addition to the FTA negotiations, Pichai reiterated Thailand's full support for Bangladesh's upcoming chairmanship of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) for the 2025–2026 period. Thailand is committed to supporting Bangladesh's efforts to advance BIMSTEC's FTA negotiations, in alignment with the Bangkok Declaration signed in April 2025.
Pichai also highlighted Bangladesh's trade potential, noting that its 170-million-strong population and 6% annual economic growth present significant opportunities for Thai businesses. He specifically pointed to Bangladesh’s growing demand for halal food products, given that the country has the fourth-largest Muslim population in the world.
In 2024, bilateral trade between Thailand and Bangladesh reached USD 1.13 billion, with Thailand exporting goods worth USD 1.04 billion to Bangladesh. Bangladesh is Thailand's second-largest trading partner in South Asia.