Toast Speech by PM Lawrence Wong at the Official Dinner Hosted by Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (Sep 2026)

Your Excellency, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul,
Khun Thananon,
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would first like to express my deepest condolences on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother and Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha. Their lives of service and devotion will be long remembered, in Thailand and beyond.

Prime Minister Anutin, thank you once again for your very warm and generous hospitality. I am glad to meet you again, and delighted, of course, to be back in Thailand for our first Leaders’ Retreat together.

We had very productive meetings today, not just the two of us, but also amongst our ministers. Our bilateral relations are in very good shape. And we agreed that we should aim even higher – and do more together to take our partnership to the next level.

Following our discussions, our ministers will have plenty to follow up on, and I know they are ready to get to work, as are our officials.

Tonight, we are also joined by a delegation of business leaders on both sides – Singapore and Thailand. I am glad we are able to bring them together. And from the reception just now, it looks like there are already many existing collaborations and friendships. But it is always good to see our business leaders coming together face-to-face to forge even closer cooperation. All of you play an important role in bringing our two countries closer together, and creating new opportunities for both sides.

Singapore has every confidence in Thailand’s economy. We have consistently been one of the top investors in Thailand, and we look forward to even more opportunities in the years ahead.

So whether it is between our governments or our businesses, Singapore is committed to deepening our partnership and realising the full potential of this bilateral cooperation.

We do so on very strong foundations – building on generations of goodwill, trust and friendship. This month, we mark 61 years of diplomatic ties but our friendship goes much further back. In 1871, Singapore was the first stop of His Majesty King Chulalongkorn’s historic overseas visit and the bronze elephant he presented to Singapore still stands at our Old Parliament House today – an enduring reminder of our longstanding ties. And just last month, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn led a delegation on a study visit to Singapore.

So across the generations – from King Chulalongkorn’s visit in 1871, to Princess Sirindhorn’s visit last month, and our Leaders’ Retreat today – Singapore and Thailand have continued to strengthen our ties and deepen the friendship between our peoples.

And I am confident we will build on this strong foundation, and take our partnership to even greater heights in the years ahead.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, may I now invite you to join me in a toast. To His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn. To the good health and success of Prime Minister Anutin and Khun Thananon. To the continued peace and prosperity of Thailand. And to the enduring friendship between Singapore and Thailand. Cheers.