Timor-Leste and Thailand strengthen bilateral relations and sign tourist visa waiver agreement
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Thailand on June 20th and 21st, 2024, at the invitation of his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiamponsa, intending to strengthen bilateral relations between Timor-Leste and Thailand.
During the visit, Minister Bendito Freitas and Minister Maris Sangiamponsa held a bilateral meeting focused on expanding cooperation in several key areas, including health, agriculture, education and human resources development. Thailand also reiterated its support for Timor-Leste's membership in ASEAN.
One of the most significant moments of the visit was signing the tourist visa waiver agreement between Timor-Leste and Thailand. This agreement will allow citizens of both countries with ordinary passports to stay for up to 30 days for tourism, shopping, and educational activities without needing a visa. The agreement will enter into force after being ratified by the respective national parliaments. The visa exemption for travellers from both countries previously applied to citizens with service and diplomatic passports. 
Minister Bendito Freitas also visited Kasetsart University, where he attended a presentation on research on innovation and technology applied to the agriculture and fisheries sectors. The university, which has 80 years of history, expressed interest in cooperating with Timor-Leste and welcoming Timorese students to deepen their knowledge and practices in these areas. 
The Timorese delegation also included Timor-Leste's Ambassador to Thailand, Juvêncio de Jesus Martins, the Director-General for ASEAN Affairs, Elia da Silva, and the Country Director for Southeast Asia, Vânio Ximenes.
Following his visit to Thailand, Minister Bendito Freitas will continue his diplomatic mission with official visits to Malaysia and Singapore from June 24th to 28th, 2024, in response to invitations from his counterparts. Discussions in these countries will focus on strengthening bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation and developing future partnerships, especially in human resources training, education, health, infrastructure and connectivity.
