Thailand and India should leverage their new land link to strengthen ties when the 1,360-kilometre trilateral highway is completed next year, former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said. The highway will run from Mae Sot on Thailand's western border through Myanmar to India's northeastern border town of Moreh.
"We have to bring Myanmar along and use all platforms to drive this forward. Land connectivity will make a real difference not just in terms of physical transportation but also to bridge a psychological gap that exists between Thailand and India because we don't share a land border," he said, speaking at the India-Thai Chamber of Commerce (ITCC) on Thursday in Bangkok.
The "India-Thailand: Today, Tomorrow, Together" event saw Mr Abhisit urge Thailand and India to work on bolstering ties as liberal democracy and multilateralism fade against the backdrop of US-China tensions.
He also drew attention to the new maritime route linking Ranong on the Andaman coast with Krishnapatnam on India's east coast.
"It is important that this sea lane opens at a time when attention is focused on problems in the South China Sea. By using this route, we will not only increase our bilateral relations but also send a signal to the rest of the world that we are determined to make sure we continue to build bridges and connections to work towards peace and prosperity," he said.
Mr Abhisit also urged India to reconsider joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as a move to "do more" to bolster trade. He said the RCEP would not be the same after India withdrew last year.
"If we think about the dismantling of multilateral agreements and the trade war, wouldn't it be nice if the RCEP sent a powerful message to the rest of the world that we on the Asian continent -- India, East Asia, and Southeast Asia -- are determined to expand our economic relations," he said.
Mr Abhisit, the Oxford-educated former leader of the Democrat Party, said Thailand and India should boost economic cooperation by strengthening bilateral and Asean free trade agreements.
"Of course, we may find an acceptable solution for India to join the RCEP. I think that will send the right signal in a world where nationalism and protectionism are taking hold. We should be making sure that governments are committed to opening up more to friends and neighbours," he said.
Meanwhile, Indian ambassador, Suchitra Durai, said her country's trade with Thailand is doing "reasonably well" despite the gloomy global economic outlook.
"Our [2019] bilateral trade continued to be quite stable at US$12.15 billion [380 billion baht]. It is a very small decline compared to 2018," she said.
With Indian and Thai companies operating in each other's countries successfully, Ms Durai said the Indian government is creating a pro-business environment with the aim of forging a $5-trillion economy in five years.
"[Moreover], we have a couple of advantages. We are the world's largest democracy and our demographic dividend results in a working-age population of more than 600 million people. I invite Thai companies to come to India and invest," she said.
She added that people-to-people contact between India and Thailand is very strong, with 2 million Indian tourists visiting Thailand every year.
"I have heard that they are quite undeterred by the [corona] virus. A few days ago, visitors mentioned that the flight from Kolkata was jam-packed, showing huge confidence in Thailand. We really hope that more Thai people will go to India," she said.