ASTANA – Thailand sees Kazakhstan as a strategic partner at a time when the rules-based international order is under growing pressure and multilateral cooperation is weakening, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said in an interview with The Astana Times.
Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Nargiz Raimbekova Phuangketkeow is paying the first official visit to Kazakhstan on June 24-27, bringing a business delegation with 11 leading Thai companies.
“We see Kazakhstan as a strategic partner,” he said. “I think we see eye to eye that we need to work hard to maintain peace and stability in our respective region and in the world at large at a time when the rules-based international order is being challenged, and at a time when we see a weakening of multilateralism.” He said Thailand and Kazakhstan are well positioned to serve as bridges between Southeast Asia and Central Asia, with both countries playing leading regional roles and sharing an interest in advancing peace, stability and deeper interregional cooperation.
Phuangketkeow hopes the visit will “generate momentum,” ahead of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, using the milestone to deepen political, economic and cultural ties. Kazakhstan remains Thailand’s largest trading partner in Central Asia, accounting for more than 70% of Thailand’s total trade with the region.
Bilateral trade reached $255.1 million in 2025, with $216.5 million of those being Kazakh imports. Fifty-five Thai companies are registered in Kazakhstan, according to data from the Kazakh government. Phuangketkeow is paying the first official visit to Kazakhstan on June 24-27, bringing a business delegation with 11 leading Thai companies.
Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Nargiz Raimbekova Phuangketkeow emphasized that Thailand sees Kazakhstan not only as a market of 20 million people but as a gateway to Central Asia’s combined market of roughly 80 million. He said Thai companies are exploring opportunities to expand food exports while also investing in Kazakhstan as a manufacturing and food-processing hub serving neighboring Central Asian countries and markets beyond.
Reflecting growing business interest, a delegation of Thai private-sector representatives accompanied his visit and is scheduled to take part in a business forum in Almaty on June 26 aimed at connecting companies from both countries and generating new investment and trade opportunities.
The latest business forum was held in Bangkok in May, where The Astana Times was present. Another priority for Thailand is reaching a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a market of more than 185 million people with a combined GDP exceeding $2.4 trillion.