Thailand is a very important development partner of the Maldives. Both countries have close and longstanding formal and informal ties.
Diplomatic relations between Maldives and Thailand was established on 21 June 1979.
In June 2003, Mr.Sanan Angubolkul was appointed as Honorary Consul of the Maldives in Thailand. Mr Angubolkul was promoted to Honorary Consul General in 2010.
The Thai Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is accredited to the Maldives. A Thai Consulate has also been functioning in Male’, Maldives, since 2 December 2009. The present Thai Honorary Consul in the Maldives is Mr. Ahmed Ali Manik.
An Embassy of Maldives was opened in Bangkok, Thailand, on 26 February 2018.
Commercial ties between Thailand and the Maldives predate diplomatic relations. Thailand is one of the key trading partners of Maldives. Over 50% of the Maldives' exports (mainly include chilled and frozen fish) goes to Thailand. Thailand is also the source country for a large variety of products such as motor vehicles, fruits and clothing imported to the Maldives.
A Maldives-Thailand Joint Trade Committee has been set up to enhance trade between the two countries. The Committee meets biennially. The last meeting of the Committee was held in 2016.
Thailand’s contribution to the hospitality sector of the Maldives is quite substantial and growing. Presently there are six Thai resort investments in the Maldives including the recently concluded first phase of the multi-island integrated resort, Crossroads Maldives. Other resorts operated by Thai companies in the Maldives include Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, Mirihi Island Resort, Centara Resort, Dusit Thani and Amari Havodda.
People-to-people contact between Maldives and Thailand is growing at a quick pace. An increasing number of Thai people presently work in resorts, guest houses, and restaurants in the Maldives. The jump in Thai tourist arrivals to the Maldives from 15,910 in 2015 to 32,436 in 2018 is also indicative of accelerating people to people contact. Direct flights operated between Thailand and the Maldives by Bangkok Airways, Maldivian and Air Asia contribute to the process.
Thailand remains the third most popular foreign travel destination for Maldivians. Maldivian visitors to Thailand mostly include medical tourists and businessmen. The recently granted visa-waiver by Thailand for Maldivian tourists is likely to increase the flow of visitors to Thailand. Thailand is also home to a growing number of Maldivian students.