From Free Trade to Cybersecurity: Thailand and Canada Shape a New Chapter After 65 Years
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OTTAWA — Tahani Elghazaly | Tawasul News
After 65 years of diplomatic relations, Thailand and Canada are looking toward a new chapter focused on free trade, cybersecurity and education, as bilateral free trade negotiations move forward alongside the broader Canada-ASEAN FTA process.
In exclusive comments to Tawasul News, Thailand’s Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency Ambassador Darm Boontham, said relations have grown "significantly closer and stronger in recent years." As middle powers, he said, the two countries share an interest in strengthening cooperation amid shifts in the global geopolitical landscape.
Boontham identified trade and investment as one of the relationship’s main strengths. Thailand is Canada’s second-largest trading partner within ASEAN, with bilateral merchandise trade reaching $7.4 billion in 2025. The ambassador said progress on both the bilateral Thailand-Canada FTA and the Canada-ASEAN agreement could create broader opportunities for businesses and investment on both sides.
Beyond traditional economic cooperation, Boontham pointed to cybersecurity and efforts to combat online scams as promising areas for closer cooperation, arguing that increasingly global digital threats require coordinated responses between like-minded countries.
The ambassador also highlighted the importance of people-to-people ties, from tourism, Thai cuisine and Muay Thai to education. Those connections are supported by year-round non-stop Air Canada service between Vancouver and Bangkok, while eligible Thai citizens can also apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa when travelling to Canada by air.
Education is another area where Boontham sees significant room for growth, particularly through dual-degree programs, student and faculty exchanges, and joint research. Canada also notes that a number of Canadian universities already have long-standing cooperation agreements with Thai academic institutions.
During his tenure in Canada, Ambassador Boontham hopes to advance bilateral relations in three key areas: expanding high-level exchanges, strengthening trade and investment, and building deeper partnerships between universities and research institutions in both countries. These priorities reflect a broader effort to place Canada-Thailand cooperation on practical and sustainable foundations, while creating new opportunities in the economy, education and research in the years ahead.
