India-Thailand ties: Om Birla, Mongkol Surasajja meet on trade, defence, Yoga
Synopsis
On the sidelines of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Thailand's Senate President Mongkol Surasajja met to advance India-Thailand ties on trade, defence, Ayurveda, and Yoga — a signal that India is using its BRICS parliamentary convening power to deepen Act East Policy outreach with Southeast Asian partners.
Key Takeaways
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Thailand's Senate President Mongkol Surasajja in New Delhi on 27 October 2026 .
Talks covered trade, tourism, education, defence, Ayurveda, and Yoga , with India's Act East Policy cited as the strategic framework.
Both sides discussed collaboration on counterterrorism, disaster management , and international affairs within the BRICS framework .
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was also present, reflecting cross-party engagement in parliamentary diplomacy.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at the Samvidhan Complex, Parliament House .
Surasajja arrived in New Delhi on 25 October and was received at IGI Airport by MPs Sandhya Ray and Dilip Saikia .
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Thailand's Senate President Mongkol Surasajja in New Delhi on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, to explore deepening bilateral cooperation across trade, tourism, education, defence, Ayurveda, and Yoga. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, underscoring India's intent to leverage multilateral platforms for bilateral engagement under its Act East Policy.
Key Areas of Discussion
The two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Thailand ties, with both sides expressing intent to raise the quality of parliamentary exchanges. Discussions covered counterterrorism, disaster management, and coordination on international affairs, including within the BRICS framework. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was also present at the meeting, signalling cross-party participation in the diplomacy.
What Om Birla Said
'Delighted to meet H.E. Mr. Mongkol Surasajja, President of the Senate of Thailand, and reaffirmed the enduring friendship between India and Thailand, rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilisational ties. We discussed strengthening cooperation in trade, tourism, education, defence, Ayurveda and yoga, with India's Act East Policy providing fresh impetus to our partnership,' Birla posted on X.
He added: 'We also explored deeper parliamentary cooperation, sharing best practices and collaboration in counterterrorism, disaster management and international affairs, including within the BRICS framework, to advance our shared priorities and people's welfare.'
Context: The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum
The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum commenced on Monday, 26 October at the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Complex in the Parliament House, New Delhi. The two-day conclave brought together parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner nations to deliberate on strengthening legislative cooperation and advancing people-centric development goals. Surasajja arrived in New Delhi on 25 October to attend the forum and was received at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport by Members of Parliament Sandhya Ray and Dilip Saikia.
Significance for India's Act East Policy
The Birla-Surasajja meeting fits into a broader pattern of India using parliamentary diplomacy to reinforce ties with Southeast Asian nations. India's Act East Policy, a strategic pivot to deepen economic and security engagement with the ASEAN region, has gained fresh institutional momentum with BRICS expanding its partner-country base. Thailand's Senate President's participation in the New Delhi forum signals Bangkok's interest in engaging India not just bilaterally but within the evolving BRICS architecture. The meeting is the latest in a series of high-level parliamentary contacts between the two countries, which share deep civilisational links through Buddhism and shared maritime heritage.
Point of View
Not merely a multilateral talking shop. That Om Birla personally received the Thai Senate President and chose to amplify it on X signals the Lok Sabha Secretariat is treating parliamentary diplomacy as a soft-power instrument with measurable foreign policy value. The inclusion of Ayurveda and Yoga alongside conventional pillars like trade and defence reflects a deliberate 'civilisational diplomacy' framing that recurs in India's Southeast Asia outreach. What remains to be seen is whether these discussions translate into concrete parliamentary exchanges or joint legislative study programmes — mechanisms that would give the bilateral relationship institutional depth beyond summit-level optics.
NationPress
27 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Om Birla and Mongkol Surasajja discuss in New Delhi?
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Thailand's Senate President Mongkol Surasajja met on 27 October 2026 in New Delhi to discuss strengthening bilateral ties across trade, tourism, education, defence, Ayurveda, and Yoga. They also explored parliamentary cooperation, counterterrorism collaboration, and coordination within the BRICS framework.
Why was the meeting held in New Delhi in October 2026?
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, hosted at the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Complex in Parliament House from 26–27 October 2026. The forum brought together parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries to advance legislative cooperation.
What is India's Act East Policy and how does it relate to Thailand?
India's Act East Policy is a strategic initiative to deepen economic, cultural, and security ties with Southeast and East Asian nations. In the context of the Birla-Surasajja meeting, it was cited as providing fresh momentum to the India-Thailand partnership, which spans trade, tourism, and defence cooperation.
Who else was present at the Om Birla-Mongkol Surasajja meeting?
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was also present at the bilateral meeting, reflecting cross-party participation in India's parliamentary diplomacy with Thailand.
When did Thailand's Senate President arrive in New Delhi for the BRICS forum?
Mongkol Surasajja arrived in New Delhi on 25 October 2026 to attend the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum. He was received at Indira Gandhi International Airport by Members of Parliament Sandhya Ray and Dilip Saikia.
