Packed four-hour program highlights growing economic ambitions, cultural synergy between Korea, Thailand
Laughter swept across the Grand Ballroom at Bangkok’s Grand Hyatt Erawan last Monday when Yuthasak Supasorn, chair of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, stepped to the lectern and introduced himself — to the delight of the crowd — in his Korean name, “Yoo Tae-seok.” The light moment set the energetic tone that carried through the day.
His greeting, and the warmth it drew in return, reflected the mood at the Ignite Thailand–Korea Business Forum, co-hosted by South Korea’s Herald Media Group, the Embassy of Thailand in South Korea and the IEAT. What followed was four hours of dense, fast-moving sessions that blended policy discussions, investment pitches and soft-power exchanges — an unusually busy scene for a Monday morning.
By the time the program opened at 9:30 a.m., nearly 500 Korean and Thai business leaders, policymakers and corporate executives had filled the ballroom. Roundtables were packed, hallway conversations spilled into the aisles, and the day’s agenda ranged from smart-city development and digital infrastructure to future industries and cultural cooperation, a breadth that many attendees described as rare for a single forum.
The Bangkok forum followed an earlier Seoul edition in April, which drew about 200 participants. Interest has since widened across government and industry, underscored by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s first phone call in October and their in-person meeting at the APEC summit, held in Gyeongju, where they pledged to deepen cooperation across the economy, defense and finance.
The first session, “Strengthening Korea-Thailand Business Cooperation,” turned to the industrial backbone of the partnership.
“Major Korean conglomerates like Samsung, LG, Posco and Hanwha have treated Thailand as their ‘second home,’” said Narit Therdsteerasukdi, secretary general of the Thailand Board of Investment, noting the steady expansion of factories. “Now we aim to work with Korea to create a ‘third wave’ of investment in Thailand, focused on semiconductors, electronics, batteries, smart devices and the digital and AI sectors.”
Closing the segment, Yuthasak drew another round of laughter when he flashed a presentation slide featuring a rock guitarist, saying that if Thailand can promise anything, it is “ROCK” — renewable, opportunities, competitiveness, keepers.
Economic ambitions weren’t the only theme; cultural exchange emerged as an increasingly strategic pillar of broader cooperation. The mood shifted with a rapid montage of music, food, fashion and television dramas that brightened the room and lifted the energy.
The audience stirred as Anna Sueangam-iam -- Miss Universe Thailand 2022 and now an actress -- walked onstage for the soft-power discussion. Applause and light cheers followed when Aiyyaphat Wankawisant, a Thai influencer and the CEO of Go Online, introduced herself in Korean, saying, “I know a little Korean.”
Celebrating the strengthening of cultural ties between Korea and Thailand, five cultural figures representing that bond were appointed during the session as Ambassadors for Korean-Thai Cultural Collaboration -- Anna, Aiyyaphat, Chakrit Pichyangkul (executive director of the Creative Economy Agency), Wirat Hengkongdee (director of Workpoint Entertainment), and Cho In-je (CEO of Purito Seoul).
Aiyyaphat, impressed by the large attendance and quality of the forum sessions, said the event had given her more than the ambassadorship, and that she anticipated more such events in the future.
"As a business owner, I want to understand what’s happening in both countries, and today I learned a lot from the sessions, from high-level overviews to industry-specific updates," she said, speaking with The Korea Herald after the forum. "It also helped me gain knowledge about Korea, which is valuable because I hope to eventually develop my own brand that connects Thailand and Korea. This forum is a good starting point for that."
Meanwhile, noticeable throughout the event was a quiet acknowledgment of loss, as South Korean attendees expressed their sympathy for Thais mourning the death of Queen Mother Sirikit, who passed away last month.
“We offer our deepest condolences on the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit,” said Jung Won-ju, chairman of Herald Media Group and Daewoo Engineering & Construction. “Her love and devotion will be long remembered, and we hope her legacy continues to guide Thailand’s prosperity.”
jwc@heraldcorp.com
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