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Thailand is pushing India to forge deeper economic ties through joint production and cross-border QR payments, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun announced during talks with Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on September 9. The two countries aim to evolve from mere trading partners to a "Trusted Strategic Partnership," leveraging their complementary strengths to build products, businesses and new markets.

Thailand's manufacturing prowess, product quality and ASEAN gateway will be combined with India's skilled workforce, technology, innovation potential and growth-oriented market. The ministers identified five pilot sectors for collaboration: processed food, health and wellness, green industry, gems and jewellery, and hospitality.

In each sector, Thailand's expertise in design, cutting and hospitality aligns with India's raw materials, domestic market and tourism sector. Both sides also agreed to expedite integration of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Thailand's PromptPay system, facilitating QR code payments across borders for tourists and businesses.

Thailand and India have already seen a 8.07% year-on-year increase in bilateral trade, reaching $13.97 billion in the first seven months of 2026, with Thai exports to India at $10.27 billion and imports from India at $3.70 billion.