Thailand Postpones BIMSTEC Summit Amid New Government Formation

Thailand has postponed the upcoming summit of the sub-regional BIMSTEC bloc, originally scheduled for September 3-4, due to challenges associated with the formation of its new government. Indian official sources confirmed the postponement, citing Thailand’s lack of readiness as the primary reason.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) includes seven member countries: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal. The decision to delay the summit was made following a meeting between Thailand’s newly appointed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the caretaker foreign minister, Maris Sagiamsongsa, as reported by Thai media.

The event had been on track until Wednesday, but as per Thai PBS World TV, the decision was made due to “technical issues in forming the new Cabinet.” Thailand’s political landscape has seen significant changes recently, with the Constitutional Court removing Srettha Thavisin from the position of Prime Minister. The ruling Pheu Thai party subsequently selected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as the new Prime Minister on August 14.

The postponed summit was also expected to be the first foreign visit of Bangladesh’s interim head of government, Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus. A bilateral meeting between the Indian Prime Minister and Yunus had been anticipated on the sidelines of the summit.

India has been a strong advocate for the BIMSTEC group, promoting it as a model regional body, especially in light of the stagnation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) due to ongoing India-Pakistan tensions.