On 1 May 2020, His Excellency General Prayut Chan-o-cha (Ret.), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, received a phone call from His Excellency Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India. Both leaders discussed cooperation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and reiterated their readiness and commitment to join hands to address the situation in all dimensions.
Discussed issues related to COVID-19 pandemic with good friend @prayutofficial. As neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural links, India and Thailand will work together to deal with the multifarious challenges posed by this present crisis.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2020
The Prime Minister of India commended the Royal Thai Government on the success of pandemic control while the Prime Minister of Thailand expressed his confidence that the Government of India will successfully cope with the spread of COVID-19. The two sides conveyed their gratitude toward each other for the assistance rendered to the Thai and Indian nationals stranded in both countries. The Thai side also expressed its appreciation to the Indian side for the facilitation of the repatriation of Thai nationals during the past week and sought continued support from the Indian Government for future repatriations. The Government of India expressed its readiness to facilitate the export of medicines and medical equipments, particularly Hydroxychloroquine, as requested by the Thai side. The two leaders also agreed to explore cooperation in the area of medical research and development under both bilateral and ASEAN frameworks. They will designate focal agencies to lay out a roadmap for such cooperation.
On this occasion, both leaders also discussed ways to foster economic cooperation as well as cooperation in other areas in preparation for the post-COVID world. The Thai side also requested the Indian side to reconsider its position on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).