Thailand and South Korea have agreed to work together to promote clean energy, digital cooperation, and soft power, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.
During his three-day official trip to South Korea, Mr Maris met Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday. The trip, which wrapped up yesterday, was at the invitation of Mr Maris' counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, according to the ministry.
Both parties reflected on the importance of South Korea as one of Thailand's strategic partners, said the minister.
They agreed to pursue cooperation in many areas, including some future industries such as energy, digital, and soft power, in an attempt to support related policies proposed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
They also discussed support for tourism and exported labourers from both countries.
Thailand is now focusing on illegal workers in South Korea in an attempt to legalise their status.
According to Mr Maris, Thai-related sectors are set to provide support for skilled labourers who want to pursue job opportunities overseas to increase their value.
Meanwhile, Thailand is working on introducing Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to support travellers from counterpart countries, with the system expected to be ready by next year, he added.
They also discussed cooperation on national security as a reflection of the role played by Thai volunteer forces during the 1950-53 Korean War.
The Thai volunteer forces during the war were a kind of prototype for later cooperation between the countries, Mr Maris said.
According to Mr Maris, Thailand was one of the first countries to send a force to assist South Korea in the war, despite not having any diplomatic ties at the time.
To commemorate this event, both sides agreed to work on national security cooperation, including force capability development and force manoeuvring.
Mr Han expressed his gratitude to the Thai government for supporting South Korea with regard to Korean Peninsula ties on the world stage, including at the United Nations.
The foreign ministers also discussed trade and investment cooperation, including support for Thai investment in South Korea's special economic zones.
More trade cooperation, such as in the field of gastronomy, is expected to be discussed, with the goal of expanding their cooperation framework in other directions, said Mr Maris.