Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will visit New Zealand from August 20 to 22, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations and the formal launch of a New Zealand-Thailand Strategic Partnership.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the visit would strengthen commercial ties as the countries pursue a goal of tripling two-way trade by 2045.
“Thailand is ASEAN’s third-largest economy and one of New Zealand’s top 10 trading partners,” Luxon said, noting two-way trade reached almost NZ$4.8 billion in the year to March 2026, including NZ$1.6 billion in New Zealand exports.
Anutin, who will be accompanied by leading Thai business representatives, will hold bilateral talks with Luxon in Auckland, meet Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and attend a business roundtable with Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay and senior business leaders.
Luxon said Thailand was also an important partner on regional stability and efforts to combat transnational serious and organised crime.
More cheap labour perhaps, another nice trade deal? After all, actual generational Kiwi’s keep leaving, don’t they…..