Indonesia’s President Prabowo to visit Thailand this month

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled for a two-day official visit to Thailand on May 19–20, according to diplomatic sources.

The sources said that during the visit, the two countries will elevate their relations to a “strategic partnership” to commemorate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The presidential visit marks a significant development between the two leading ASEAN members amid swift changes in the geopolitical landscape. Former President Joko Widodo never made an official visit to Thailand.

Prabowo was in Bangkok in April, ahead of his presidency. He met with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin was subsequently appointed to the advisory board of sovereign fund Danantara Indonesia in March.

Last week, both countries held the 10th Thai-Indonesian Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation Meeting after an eight-year hiatus. The previous meeting was held in 2018 in Yogyakarta. The recent session was co-chaired by Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono.

In addition to bilateral issues, both leaders exchanged views on regional and global matters, including strengthening ASEAN’s role in regional stability, peace in Myanmar, and developments in Palestine.

According to Antara, Sugiono viewed the bilateral meeting on Friday as “a new foundation for stronger, broader, and more strategic relations between Indonesia and Thailand.”

At a recent seminar on Thai-Indonesian ties, Mirza Nurhidayat, Director of Southeast Asian Affairs at the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, said further strengthening bilateral ties in strategic sectors such as defense, the economy, and people-to-people relations could serve as a roadmap for future Thailand–Indonesia cooperation to promote regional peace and stability.

He also disclosed that more than 600 Indonesians had fallen victim to scammers based in Myanmar.

Thailand helped facilitate the repatriation of Indonesian nationals earlier this year. Nurhidayat proposed that the two countries strengthen security cooperation—such as addressing technology abuse and sharing criminal case information—to support future preventive measures.