Singapore, Thailand sign agreement to deepen cooperation on social sector development

BANGKOK: Singapore and Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Wednesday (Sep 2) to strengthen cooperation in social sector development.

The agreement was signed by Singapore's Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Thailand's Social Development and Human Security Minister Nikorn Soemklang. 

Under the MOU, cooperation will take place in five areas, including personnel exchanges between relevant institutions and the sharing of knowledge and research on social welfare policies and programmes.

It will also cover visits to social service institutions and joint capacity-building activities such as workshops and training.

Singapore and Thailand may also work together in other mutually agreed areas involving women, family, and social welfare and development. 

Speaking at a joint press conference with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the connectivity the two countries are seeking depends on the connections between their people.

"We will continue to promote closer people-to-people ties, including among our civil servants and researchers," he said.

"The MOU we just signed on cooperation in social sector development will also enable us to learn from each other's experiences and find new solutions together."

FIRST LEADERS' RETREAT IN MORE THAN A DECADE

The agreement was signed during the Singapore-Thailand Leaders' Retreat in Bangkok on Wednesday, the first between Mr Wong and Mr Anutin.

It also marked the revival of the Leaders' Retreat after a hiatus of more than a decade. The previous edition was held in Singapore in 2015. 

Mr Wong said he was glad that both countries had revived the platform, which allows them to take stock of bilateral relations, discuss issues of mutual interest and chart the way forward.

He described bilateral relations as being in "excellent shape", underpinned by a high degree of trust and rapport at the leadership level, as well as strong institutional ties.

Ministers and officials from both sides also work closely through established platforms such as the Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Economic Relationship and the Civil Service Exchange Programme, he added. 

At the retreat, the two leaders reviewed progress in areas they had agreed to deepen cooperation in during Mr Anutin's visit to Singapore last November, including food and energy security, the digital economy and tackling transnational crime.

Mr Wong said their discussions focused on turning these shared priorities into "concrete projects".

FOOD, ENERGY AND AI COOPERATION

On food security, Mr Wong said Singapore and Thailand were looking at strengthening food supply chains by encouraging greater collaboration between food producers and traders.

In November, the two countries concluded an agreement on rice trade that aims to strengthen food security for Singapore while expanding export opportunities for Thai farmers.

Closer collaboration would tap Thailand's strengths as a major food producer and Singapore's role as a logistics and trading hub, he added.

The countries are also working to strengthen energy resilience through initiatives such as the ASEAN power grid and cooperation in carbon credits. 

Emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, were another area discussed at the retreat.

Mr Wong said both countries were investing in AI and looking at ways to deploy the technology more widely across their economies.

He identified manufacturing, healthcare and tourism as areas where Singapore and Thailand could work together on practical AI applications. Both sides could also share experiences on deploying AI safely and responsibly while encouraging innovation and adoption, he said. 

CLOSER CONNECTIVITY

The two countries also discussed strengthening physical and digital connectivity.

Mr Wong said Singapore could be a "natural partner" in Thailand's plans to bolster its position as a regional trade and logistics hub, pointing to the capabilities of Singapore companies such as port operator PSA. 

On digital links, Singapore and Thailand pioneered the PromptPay-PayNow linkage in 2021, the world's first linkage between two national real-time payment systems.

The next step would be to connect with more countries through a common multilateral framework, Mr Wong said. Both sides would also identify new opportunities for companies to collaborate in fintech and the wider digital economy. 

The leaders also discussed regional and international developments, with Mr Wong describing Singapore and Thailand as like-minded partners with a shared interest in a "strong and united ASEAN".

Singapore will chair the regional grouping in 2027, followed by Thailand in 2028.

Mr Wong said the successive chairmanships presented a "unique opportunity" for the two countries to work together on initiatives requiring sustained effort over several years.

He and Mr Anutin agreed that their teams should develop a multi-year agenda to build continuity and momentum from one ASEAN chairmanship to the next.