“Minister of Defense” Welcomes Deputy “Minister of National Defense of Laos” Emphasizes Strong “Thai-Lao Friendship”

Today (28 April 2026), 2:30 PM at the reception room of the Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Adul Boonthamcharoen, Minister of Defense, welcomed Lieutenant General Say Chai Kommasith, Deputy Minister of National Defense and Chief of Staff of the Lao People's Army, on his visit to Thailand as a guest of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, and other advisors were also present to welcome and discuss the matter.

Both sides discussed and exchanged views on promoting relations and cooperation in the field of defense between Thailand and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, based on the close neighborly relationship, strong ties, and long-standing friendship. Both sides praised the role of their respective armed forces in jointly maintaining peace and order along the border and to strengthen regional stability.

On this occasion, the Minister of Defense expressed gratitude to the government and people of the Lao PDR for the warm welcome extended to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen during their royal visit to the Lao PDR in March, commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Laos. The visit was conducted with great honor and reflected the deep relationship between the two countries. The Minister of Defense also mentioned his personal ties from his time serving in the 2nd Army Area, which has close ties with the Lao PDR, and affirmed Thailand's readiness to support cooperation in training, education, personnel exchange, and joint military exercises at all levels to enhance trust between commanders and personnel of both sides. He also invited the Lao side to participate in the 10th anniversary celebration of the ASEAN Military Medical Centre (AMMC), to be held in July 2026 in Bangkok.

Regarding security cooperation, both sides discussed approaches to addressing drug trafficking, human trafficking, and online crime, as well as joint border surveillance. They also agreed to cooperate in constructing firebreaks along the border to enhance the concrete solutions to wildfires, haze, and particulate matter pollution at the regional level.

In addition, both sides exchanged ideas on developing border areas between Thailand and Laos, such as the Golden Triangle and other important areas, to increase economic potential, food security, and agricultural cooperation, including the advancement of knowledge in plant and animal breeding under the Royal Thai Army's "Good Soldier" project, a royal initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

At the same time, the Thai side thanked Laos for its constructive and neutral role in the sensitive and complex Thai-Cambodian border situation, encompassing security, economic, and transnational crime dimensions. This discussion marks another important step in strengthening Thai-Lao relations and pushing for concrete long-term defense cooperation, reflecting the long-standing friendship between the two neighboring countries and their readiness to cooperate for peace, stability, and security in the ASEAN region.