BANGKOK — Thailand and Laos have agreed to hold a ministerial meeting later this year to boost bilateral trade toward their $11 billion target by 2027.
Ms. Chotima Iemsawasdikul, Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations, revealed the plan following the 8th Thailand-Laos Cooperation Plan meeting at the senior official level on September 10, 2025. The virtual meeting included her counterpart from Laos’ Department of Negotiations and International Cooperation under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Both countries have committed to fast-tracking trade expansion and expanding cross-border and transit trade cooperation to facilitate commerce, transportation, and tourism between the two nations.
Key Cooperation Areas
The bilateral partnership will focus on several strategic initiatives, including bringing Laos’ border checkpoints up to Thai standards, improving cross-border transportation and travel for locals and international tourists, and reopening additional border crossings that were closed during COVID-19 to boost border economies and reduce transportation costs and time.
Other priority areas include promoting investment in special economic zones, accelerating road and rail infrastructure development including new friendship bridges and railway bridges, enhancing Thailand-Laos tourism, and promoting local currency use in trade between the countries.
Private Sector Engagement
Both sides agreed to organize a parallel private sector meeting alongside the ministerial summit to create networking opportunities for businesses and build new business partnerships. This initiative aims to connect Thai-Laos businesses and help both countries move toward digital trade and a regional digital economy.
Current Trade Relations
Laos is Thailand’s second-biggest border trading partner after Malaysia and seventh-largest trading partner within ASEAN, while Thailand is Laos’ top trading partner and second-largest investor.
In 2024, bilateral trade reached $8.29 billion, with Thailand exporting $4.92 billion worth of goods to Laos and importing $3.36 billion. Major Thai exports include diesel fuel, refined petroleum products, white sugar, minerals and fuels, and automobiles.
Key imports from Laos include electricity, vegetables and vegetable preparations, diodes, transistors and semiconductor devices, fertilizers, and audio-visual transmission equipment.
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