On 18 May 2026, H.E. Tanee Sangrat, Ambassador of Thailand to the Republic of Korea and Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS), led ASEAN Ambassadors and Representatives on a joint courtesy call on H.E. Yeo Han-Koo, Minister for Trade of the Republic of Korea, at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Seoul.

In his capacity as Chair of the ACS and Country Coordinator for ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations, Ambassador Tanee emphasised the importance of the ASEAN-ROK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) amidst a volatile and unpredictable global landscape and expressed support for the Minister for Trade's target to finalise negotiations for the upgrade of the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA) within 2027. The Ambassador expressed his hope for the full implementation of RCEP and presented the Royal Thai Embassy's plans to establish the Seoul Thailand Startup and Innovation Space (STSIS) at the Embassy and organise the 2026 Thailand-Korea Business Forum: Biohealth, Medtech, Wellness, and Future Food.

Ambassador Tanee also underlined strategic areas for economic cooperation between both sides in the future, including supporting startups and SMEs, strengthening supply chain resilience, supporting the digital economy and sustainable economic growth, and jointly developing future industries such as AI. On the bilateral front, the Ambassador conveyed H.E. Suphajee Suthumpun, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce’s thanks to Minister Yeo and her request for consideration of pending issues to finalize the negotiation for Thailand-ROK Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) within this year.