Thailand Postpones BIMSTEC Conference until After New Government Formed

The foreign ministry said on Friday that next month’s BIMSTEC summit of leaders of seven countries, mostly from South Asia, in Thailand will be suspended until a new administration is formed.

Thailand currently has a caretaker government following a court’s dismissal of Srettha Thavisin as premier last week and his successor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has yet to name her cabinet. The summit had been due to take place in Bangkok from September 3-4.

BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) includes India, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri-Lanka, Nepal. And every two years its leaders meet for a summit.

The current Interim Government of Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Md. Yunus was scheduled to join the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.