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BANGKOK, Nov 4, 2026 - The business programme of the 2nd Russian–Thai Investment Forum (RTIF2026) commenced in Bangkok on Oct 30. At the beginning of the official opening ceremony of this major event, dedicated to strengthening economic partnership between the two countries and establishing long-term business ties between Russian and Thai companies, a welcoming address from Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, was delivered to the forum delegates. The Russian Foreign Minister expressed his confidence that the forum would be held in a constructive atmosphere and wished the organisers, participants and guests every success.
The opening ceremony also featured an address by Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok. In his remarks, he highlighted the longstanding and strong ties between Russia and Thailand, noting that 2027 will mark the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as the 30th anniversary of the establishment of friendly relations between their respective capitals, Moscow and Bangkok.
As part of the first day’s programme, the Russian–Thai Trade Platform was officially presented. The Made in Russia Pavilion, established by the Russian–Thai Business Council (RTBC) in cooperation with the Russian Export Centre (REC), is intended to become a key pillar in the development of bilateral business cooperation. The pavilion will showcase a diverse range of Russian products, from food and pharmaceutical goods to industrial solutions and technologies. It will provide Russian manufacturers with an effective platform for entering the Thai market, while offering Thai partners direct access to Russian products and opportunities for business-to-business (B2B) engagement.
"The opening of the pavilion in Thailand marks a qualitatively new stage in the development of institutional support mechanisms for Russian businesses in Southeast Asia. Our project is aimed not only at facilitating bilateral trade but also at establishing a comprehensive mechanism incorporating certification, marketing and legal support. Furthermore, the Russia–Thailand Trade Platform will create favourable conditions for effective B2B engagement, industrial cooperation and investment partnerships," said Vladimir Kovalev, Executive Director of the Russian–Thai Business Council.
Another major business event on the first day was the session "Food Security: Agricultural Trade and Regulation". Discussions focused on key issues affecting the agricultural sector, including prospects for expanding bilateral trade in agricultural products, improving market access mechanisms for food products in both countries, veterinary, phytosanitary and food regulations, strengthening cooperation among government agencies, industry associations and businesses, developing sustainable supply chains and addressing existing barriers to bilateral trade. The session was attended by Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand. A separate roundtable for agricultural producers was also held, bringing together leading Russian and Thai companies.
Other business programme sessions addressed key issues in metallurgy, energy, transport and logistics.
A major highlight of the first day of RTIF2026 was the plenary session entitled "Russia–Thailand: A New Era of Economic Partnership."
The Thai delegation included Mongkol Surasajja, President of the Senate of Thailand; Akanat Promphan, Minister of Energy; Sarun Charoensuwan, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs; Dr Kirida Bhaopichitr, Vice Minister for Commerce; Pimjai Leeissaranukul, Chairwoman of Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and Chairwoman of Thai-Russian Business Council; Dr Poj Aramwattananont, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand; Dr Chula Sukmanop is the Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) and MR Nongkran Chompoonut, Chairperson of the Digital Council of Thailand.
The plenary session also featured a video address by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). She welcomed the forum participants and emphasised that promoting sustainable economic cooperation between Russia, Thailand and the wider Asia-Pacific region is particularly important and timely in the current global context.
The Russian delegation was represented by Ivan Demchenko, Chairman of the Russian–Thai Business Council; Vladimir Ilyichev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation; Veniamin Kondratyev, Governor of Krasnodar Krai; Evgeny Tomikhin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Thailand and Permanent Representative to ESCAP; Alexey Repik, Chairman of the All-Russian Public Organisation “Business Russia”; Vladimir Padalko, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation; Nikita Gusakov, Senior Vice President of the Russian Export Centre and CEO of EXIAR; and Alexander Stuglev, Director of the Roscongress Foundation.
"Today, we have gathered here in such an expanded format, and I believe this represents a major success in the development of relations between Russia and Thailand. It is worth noting that the 2nd Russian–Thai Investment Forum brings together the results of a number of bilateral initiatives and events that have taken place throughout this year.
Over the first eight months of this year, trade turnover between Russia and Thailand has already exceeded the figures recorded for the previous year. However, much work remains to further strengthen our partnership on a broader scale. First and foremost, we need to introduce new payment solutions that will enable settlements between Russia and Thailand in national currencies. The second key priority is to simplify certification procedures and ensure unimpeded market access for products from both countries," emphasised Ivan Demchenko, Chairman of the Russian–Thai Business Council.
