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Thailand's closeness to the Indian Ocean and its connections to the Bay of Bengal on the eastern Andaman Sea, a natural resource-rich region, has traditionally influenced its maritime approach. However, with geopolitical tensions emerging in the Bay, security concerns are also becoming important in shaping this approach, particularly with regard to its Act West Policy (AWP), which aims to capitalise on the opportunities brought about by the geopolitical changes in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean Region. Thailand has, therefore, taken a distinctive stance, aiming for stability and shared prosperity by utilising its strategic location and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) experience in light of the conflict between security and economic objectives. This strategy aims to elevate Thailand’s influence on both fronts and establish the country as a significant security stakeholder.
Thailand has, therefore, taken a distinctive stance, aiming for stability and shared prosperity by utilising its strategic location and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) experience in light of the conflict between security and economic objectives.
Economic waters of the Bay
The Bay of Bengal’s economic potential is not limited to trade; it also encompasses the Blue Economy—the vast resources the region holds, which support 25 percent of the country’s population and contribute one-third of Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP). Fisheries and aquaculture are essential sectors that provide food security and employment opportunities. Furthermore, marine tourism attracts millions of visitors annually. Recognising the Blue Economy’s potential, Thailand turned to bilateralism and multilateral institutions for regional cooperation.
The Bay is a crucial maritime trade corridor for Thailand, offering significant economic opportunities. As one of the six littoral nations bordering this vital body of water, Thailand is strategically placed to enhance its relations with neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India. Thailand’s efforts in multilateral initiatives are complemented by projects that strengthen its strategic position in the Bay of Bengal. Bangkok and Dhaka seek to establish a direct shipping line between Ranong Port in Thailand and Chattogram Port in Bangladesh. Simultaneously, Thailand’s participation in the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway—an Indian-led infrastructure project between the three littoral nations—illustrates Thailand’s enthusiasm for the region. The port interlinkage and Trilateral highway benefit bilateral and trilateral relations and provide a strategic advantage for Bangkok’s engagement with Bhutan, Nepal, and India’s northeastern States. This engagement allows Thailand to improve its market access and increase its trade volume through cheaper transportation.
Thailand’s participation in the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway—an Indian-led infrastructure project between the three littoral nations—illustrates Thailand’s enthusiasm for the region.
Apart from its bilateralism, Thailand has turned to multilateralism in the region, particularly the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). These regional economic institutions increasingly shape the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean Region’s Blue Economy and maritime connectivity initiatives. In line with its commitment to multilateralism, Thailand has taken on a leadership role within the BIMSTEC to enhance the institutions’ collaboration and make it a more tangible grouping. By revitalising BIMSTEC, its goal is to transform the institution into a more cohesive grouping that enhances regional trade, as the Bay of Bengal remains one of the least integrated geopolitical regions with intra-regional trade lower than in regions like ASEAN. Continuing its earlier effort in line with its AWP, and as the Chair of the BIMSTEC, Thailand has helped streamline the priority fields from fourteen to seven areas—agriculture, connectivity, environment, security, science and technology, connectivity, and people-to-people contact. In this effort, Thailand's rich ASEAN experience has helped a group like BIMSTEC. Furthermore, as a member of ASEAN, it has transferred the lessons from initiatives such as the Master Plan ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration into shaping BIMSTEC Transport Connectivity. Similarly, in IORA, Thailand has played an “active” role, supporting ‘“know-how exchange relating to health, the promotion of small and medium enterprises, and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”
Despite these ambitious initiatives, Thailand’s contributors face significant challenges, such as limited awareness among stakeholders, insufficient monitoring, and lacking regulatory support, creating uncertainty for both domestic and foreign investors. Thailand has mobilised its private sector investment to address these challenges through financial products like sustainability loans and blue bonds. It has also implemented Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to balance economic activities with environmental protection, and it has participated in initiatives such as the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project Phase II (BOBLME II) to tackle overfishing, climate change, and pollution.
Thailand has mobilised its private sector investment to address these challenges through financial products like sustainability loans and blue bonds.
Enhancing security cooperation in the region
While the economic rationale behind the strategic significance of the Bay of Bengal cannot be understated, the region’s security is becoming equally important for Thailand. These security imperatives reflect two vital points: an increasing assertion of Thailand’s AWP security pillar, and the evolving importance of this region in shaping the Indo-Pacific security architecture at large. The security turn is part of the incremental regional shift due to China's visible, increasing presence and footprint in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean Region, which has turned speculation into a serious concern. However, Thailand’s approach differs from others. While it has recognised the security challenges and actively cooperated with regional countries like India through joint defence exercises (as shown in Table 1) and maritime domain awareness cooperation, it has done so without taking a confrontational position. Additionally, it has emphasised the importance of a Blue Economy through maritime cooperation.
Table 1: Maritime Exercises between Thailand and other countries:

Source: Compiled by Author
Some examples of maritime cooperation include bilateral maritime exercises, such as the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)—a bi-annual initiative involving the Indian and Royal Thai Navies that started in 2005. These joint exercises exemplify the defence cooperation between the two countries and emphasise the importance of collaborative maritime governance, further highlighting the increasing alignment between India’s Act East Policy and Thailand’s Act West Policy. Apart from India, Thailand has also increased its naval cooperation with the United States (US) in the region.
Besides bilateral cooperation, Thailand is also integrating itself with regional maritime security governance and defence multilateral institutions, such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI), among a few others. As the chair of the IONS and co-lead of the IPOI’s maritime ecology pillar along with Australia, Thailand has taken steps to enhance cohesive maritime security. Under its IONS chairmanship, it developed collaborative strategies to address regional challenges, including piracy, illegal fishing and smuggling, and it highlighted the importance of the Blue Economy's role in supporting the “effective and sustainable use of marine resources, and efficient and beneficial shared maritime domains management.”
Besides bilateral cooperation, Thailand is also integrating itself with regional maritime security governance and defence multilateral institutions, such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI), among a few others.
Through these efforts, Thailand adds to the collective strength of IONS and enhances regional capabilities to counter these issues effectively, building a unified response mechanism to tackle security threats such as environmental degradation and smuggling. These efforts highlight Thailand’s unique maritime approach that emphasises national resilience through cooperative frameworks and a vision for an integrated and secure Indo-Pacific region that covers the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. Thus, all this development signifies that security considerations are slowly matching pace with economic interests. Through these efforts, the emphasis is on harmonising economic and security interests in the maritime domain rather than compromising one for another.
The Thai way: Promoting a distinct approach
Through proactive initiatives and well-planned strategies, Thailand has demonstrated itself as a key player in the Bay of Bengal Region: leading efforts to strengthen regional trade, enhance connectivity, and embrace integrity among littoral countries, and showcasing its capacity to address shared challenges and cooperation effectively. Beyond its leadership role, it is also laying the groundwork to establish itself as a formidable regional player. This approach reinforces its influence and highlights its commitment to fostering sustainable partnerships, driving economic growth, and ensuring regional stability, ultimately securing its long-term prominence.
Thailand can act as a mediator between South and Southeast Asia, leveraging its role as an economic bridge and maritime hub following its Act West Policy.
Thailand’s involvement in regional cooperation initiatives has focused on integrating maritime security and economic goals, borrowing from its ASEAN experience. This unique perspective has also shaped regional institutions such as BIMSTEC, IPOI, and IORA, emphasising collective action to address challenges in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. This highlights Thailand’s aspiration to establish a more integrated geopolitical framework within this underdeveloped region by creating synergy between economics and security in the maritime domain. Therefore, as geopolitical dynamics continue to evolve in the Indo-Pacific region, Thailand's strategic perspective on its adjacent maritime geography will remain critical for navigating economic opportunities and addressing security challenges effectively.
Thailand can act as a mediator between South and Southeast Asia, leveraging its role as an economic bridge and maritime hub following its Act West Policy. In this calculation, partnering with India and regional stakeholders is critical for Thailand, a sentiment reflected during the Thai Deputy Prime Minister’s visit to India in January 2024, where both sides “noted a convergence of the Act East Policy of India … and the Act West Policy of Thailand.” Hence, Thailand's multifaceted approach to maritime geography reflects an evolving understanding of the economic potential and security imperatives associated with the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean region, highlighting the diverse perspective of the region
Abhishek Sharma is a Research Assistant with the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation.
Aadityavikram Rana is a research intern with the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation.
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