OVERVIEW OF PHILIPPINES AND THAILAND RELATIONS
Although archeological artifacts and historical records point to commercial and people-to-people contacts between the Philippines and Thailand, it was only on 14 June 1949 that formal relations between the Republic of the Philippines (as an independent sovereign nation) and the Kingdom of Thailand began, upon the signing of the Treaty of Friendship in Washington D.C.
The Philippines and Thailand then established legations at each other’s capitals in 1949, which were eventually elevated to embassy status on 1 January 1956. From then on, relations between the two countries strengthened and flourished. Both became founders of SEATO in September 1954 and ASEAN in August 1967, and thereafter joined other regional and international fora. Cooperation likewise expanded beyond trade and culture to cover political, defense, investment, tourism, air services, scientific and technical, telecommunications, agriculture, justice and environment, among others.
In 1999, as the Philippines and Thailand celebrated 50 years of cordial, harmonious and dynamic friendship, the Philippines renamed Rada Street as Thailand Street in the bustling business district of Makati, while Thailand opted to have Soi Philippines (Philippine Street) at the corner where the Philippine Embassy is located along Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok’s business center.
2019 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Thailand. Various commemorative activities were organized by the two Governments through their respective missions in Bangkok and Manila. The visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to the Philippines in June 2019, and the visit of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to attend the ASEAN Summit in Thailand that same month, highlighted the significance of this milestone.
EXCHANGES OF HIGH LEVEL VISITS
Sustained exchanges of high-level visits attest to the cordial state of relations between the Philippines and Thailand. In the past 70 years, there have been exchanges of high-level visits by Heads of State and Government of the two countries, especially during ASEAN Summits, which have nurtured and strengthened the friendly relations between the Philippines and Thailand.
- 09-14 July 1963 – State Visit to the Philippines of Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great and Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, at the invitation of H.E. Diosdado Macapagal, President of the Republic of the Philippines.
- 02-04 March 1966 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Field Marshal Thanom Kittikhachorn, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 24-26 October 1966 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Field Marshal Thanom Kittikhachorn, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, to attend the SEATO Manila Summit Conference.
- 15-19 January 1968 – State Visit to Thailand of H.E. Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Republic of the Philippines, and First Lady, Madame Imelda Marcos, as guests of Their Majesties King Bhumibol Aduyadej The Great and Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.
- 15-16 May 1980 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. General Prem Tinsulanonda, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 10-13 April 1983 – Official Visit to Thailand of H.E. Cesar E.A. Virata, Prime Minister of the Republic of the Philippines.
- 26-28 January 1989 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. General Chatichai Choonhavan, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 31 August 1991[1] – First visit to the Philippines of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the invitation of the Government of the Philippines, and to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award from the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
- 17-20 December 1992 – State Visit to Thailand of H.E. Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Republic of the Philippines.
- 24-26 March 1993 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Chuan Leekpai, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 30 September – 01 October 1995 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Banharn Silpa-archa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 24-25 November 1996 – Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Banharn Silpa-archa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, to attend the 4th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Subic, Philippines.
- 29-30 January 1997 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 07-08 May 2002 – Official Visit to Thailand of H.E. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines
- 29 April 2003 – Visit to Thailand of H.E. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, to attend the Special ASEAN-China Leaders Meeting on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
- 7-8 September 2003 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 20-21 October 2003 – Visit to Thailand of H.E. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, to attend the 11th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
- 26 November to 05 December 2005[2] – Visit to the Philippines of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana to participate in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).
[1] Honorary Awards, Her Royal Highness Princess Maja Chakri Sirindhorn’s Personal Affairs Division Website http://sirindhorn.net/hrh_new/e1_2.php
[2] As verified with Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs Contact (Arrival: 26 November 2005, Departure: 05 December 2005). Based on open sources, the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd SEA Games was held on 27 November 2005, while the Closing Ceremony was held on 05 December 2005).
- 23 October 2006 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. General Surayud Chulanont, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 13-15 January 2007 – Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Surayud Chulanont, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, to attend the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu.
- 22-23 May 2008 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Samak Sundaravej, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 10 November 2008 – Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. Somchai Wongsawat, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 27 February – 01 March 2009 – Visit to Thailand of H.E. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, to attend the 14th ASEAN Summit in Cha-am, Petchaburi Province, Thailand.
- 10-12 April 2009 – Visit to Thailand of H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, to attend the 12th ASEAN+3 Summit and the 4th East Asia Summit in Pattaya.
- 15-18 November 2009[1] – Second visit to the Philippines of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, to preside over the opening ceremonies of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the 6th International Rice Genetics Symposium. Her Royal Highness also attended the conferment ceremony at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) to receive the Honorary Doctorate in Law from the UPLB Chancellor.
- 26-27 May 2011 –Visit to Thailand of H.E. Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines, at the invitation of former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjaviva.[2]
- 27-28 August 2015- Official Visit to the Philippines of H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- 18-22 January 2016[3] – Third visit to the Philippines of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, during which Her Royal Highness visited four schools under the Collaborative Project on Children and Youth Development between the Philippines and Thailand under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness.
- 20-22 March 2017 – First Official Visit to Thailand of H.E. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Republic of the Philippines.
- 29 April 2017 – Visit to the Philippines of H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, to attend the 30th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Manila.
- 25-26 October 2017 – Visit to Thailand of Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter S. Cayetano, as Special Envoy of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, to attend the Royal Cremation Ceremony of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great.
[1] Foreign Visits, Her Royal Highness Princess Maja Chakri Sirindhorn’s Personal Affairs Division Website, http://sirindhorn.net/hrh_new/e2_2.php
[2] Official Visit of President Benigno S. Aquino III to the Kingdom of Thailand on 26-27 May 2011, Public-Private Partnership Center Official Website, https://ppp.gov.ph/?in_the_news=official-visit-of-president-benigno-s-aquino-iii-to-the-kingdom-of-thailand-on-26-27-may-2011
[3] Op. cit. Foreign Visits, Royal Highness Princess Maja Chakri Sirindhorn’s Personal Affairs Division Website.
- 03-04 June 2019 – Fourth visit to the Philippines of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, to historical sites in Cebu and Manila, as well as to visit anew two schools under the Collaborative Project on Children and Youth Development between the Philippines and Thailand under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness.
- 21-23 June 2019 – Visit to Thailand of H.E. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Republic of the Philippines, to attend the 34th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Bangkok.
ECONOMIC RELATIONS
Philippines-Thailand Merchandise Trade 2014-2018 (in US$) |
|||||||
Year |
Exports to Thailand |
% Growth Rate |
Imports from Thailand |
% Growth Rate |
Net Exports |
Total Trade |
% Growth Rate |
2014 |
2,353,095,700 |
- |
3,481,411,531 |
- |
(1,128,315,831) |
5,834,507,231 |
- |
2015 |
2,329,891,620 |
-0.99 |
4,944,181,299 |
42.02 |
(2,614,289,679) |
7,274,072,919 |
24.67 |
2016 |
2,183,859,522 |
-6.27 |
6,578,220,663 |
33.05 |
(4,394,361,141) |
8,762,080,185 |
20.46 |
2017 |
2,740,779,109 |
25.50 |
6,758,848,348 |
2.75 |
(4,018,069,239) |
9,499,627,457 |
8.42 |
2018 |
2,974,939,445 |
8.54 |
7,786,514,278 |
15.20 |
(4,811,574,833) |
10,761,453,723 |
13.28 |
Source: Department of Trade and Industry, http://www.tradelinephilippines.dti.gov.ph:8080/total-trade |
Total approved foreign investments from Thailand was 56.63 million pesos in 2018.[1]
Tourist Arrivals in the Philippines from Thailand, 2014-2018 |
||
Year |
Arrivals |
% Growth Rate |
2014 |
45,943 |
(4.03) |
2015 |
44,038 |
(4.15) |
2016 |
47,913 |
8.80 |
2017 |
48,727 |
1.70 |
2018 |
59,793 |
22.71 |
Source: Department of Tourism, http://www.tourism.gov.ph |
Tourist Arrivals in Thailand from the Philippines, 2014-2019 |
||
Year |
Arrivals |
% Growth Rate |
2014 |
296,339 |
- |
2015 |
240,880 |
(18.71) |
2016 |
339,150 |
40.80 |
2017 |
380,886 |
12.31 |
2018 |
432,053 |
13.43 |
2019* |
279,651 |
- |
Source: Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports, http://www.mots.go.th *January-July 2019 |
[1] Bureau of Trade and Industrial Policy Research, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
PHILIPPINES-THAILAND BILATERAL AGREEMENTS
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in June 1949, the Philippines and Thailand have concluded 25 key bilateral agreements, as follows:
- Treaty of Friendship between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Thailand (Washington D.C., 14 June 1949)
- Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand Relating to Air Services Between Their Respective Territories (Bangkok, 27 April 1953)
- Exchange of Notes Constituting an Agreement on the Abolition of Visa Requirements and Waiver of Visa Fees in Certain Cases (Manila, 30 August 1962)
- Cultural Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Royal Thai Government (Manila, 22 July 1975)
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Agricultural Cooperation (Manila, 29 August 1979) [Replaced by the Memorandum of Understanding on Agricultural Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand signed in Bangkok on 19 October 2003]
- Treaty Between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand Relating to Extradition (Manila, 16 March 1981)
- Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Thailand (Bangkok, 11 April 1983)
- Agreement on the Establishment of a Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand (Bangkok, 24 August 1992)
- Agreement on Cooperation on Tourism Between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand (Manila, 24 March 1993)
- Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for the Promotion and Protection of Investments (Manila, 30 September 1995)
- Agreement on Academic Cooperation between the Ministry of University Affairs of Thailand and the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines (Manila, 21 June 1997)
- Memorandum of Understanding on Military Cooperation between the Government of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand (Bangkok, 21 August 1997)
- Agreement on Cooperation Between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and Government of the Republic of the Philippines on the Prevention and the Fight Against Criminal Activities (Bangkok, 18 December 1998)
- Trade Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand (Manila, 27 November 1999)
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Thailand on Joint Oil Spill Response (Manila, 27 November 1999)
- Treaty Between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Thailand on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and on Co-operation in the Enforcement of Penal Sentences (Manila, 12 October 2001)
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Energy of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Energy of Thailand on Cooperation in Oil and Gas Activities (Bangkok, 19 October 2003)
- Convention Between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (Manila, 21 June 2013)
- Joint Statement between the Department of Energy of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Thailand for the Establishment of an Energy Forum (Manila, 21 June 2013)
- Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Prevention and Fight Against Corruption between the Office of the Ombudsman of the Philippines and the National Anti-Corruption Commission of the Kingdom of Thailand (Nonthaburi, Thailand, 13 June 2014)
- Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for Cooperation in the Field of Science and Technology (Bangkok, 21 March 2017)
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Royal Thai Police on Cooperation in Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, and Controlled Precursor and Essential Chemicals (Quezon City, 19 September 2017)
- Memorandum of Agreement Concerning the Recognition of Training and Certification of Seafarers under Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention between the Maritime Industry Authority of the Philippines and the Marine Department of Thailand (Bangkok, 13 December 2017 [Thai side]; 16 January 2018 [Philippine side])
- Memorandum of Understanding Between the Presidential Communications Operations Office of the Republic of the Philippines and the Public Relations Department under the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand on Information and Media Cooperation (Bangkok, 17 January 2019)