During 26 - 30 April 2028, His Excellency Mr. Dusit Manapan, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, paid an official visit to the Republic of Iraq (Baghdad and Kurdistan Region of the Republic of Iraq) to further strengthen and elevate cooperation in various sectors, including agriculture and food, tourism, medical and healthcare services. Along with His Excellency the Advisor, the Thai private delegation in medical and healthcare sector also participated in the "First Iraqi Medical Fair and Conference" (IMT) to showcase their advanced medical and healthcare technology and services. This is the first time that Thailand had a high level delegation visiting Iraq to explore potential collaboration in the medical and health sector.
The delegates who accompanied His Excellency the Advisor included (1) H.E. Mr. Supark Prongthura, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Jordan and Non-Resident Ambassador of Thailand to the Republic of Iraq, together with the officials and staff of the Royal Thai Embassy in Amman (2) H.E. Miss Mathurawee Wisuthakul, Deputy Director General of the Department of South Asian, Middle East, and African Affairs, along with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, (3) representatives and medical experts of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS), namely Bangkok Hospital and Samitivej Hospital.
H.E. the Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, along with the Thai delegation, held important meetings with the Iraqi counterparts. Below are key highlights:
- On 27 April 2025, (1) H.E. Mr. Jamal Tahir Al-Asadi, Advisor to the Minister of Trade of Iraq (2) H.E. Mr. Mohammed Bahr Al-Olum, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, as well as (3) co-hosted a dinner reception with the Federation of Iraqi Chamber of Commerce (FICC) to deepen ties between the public and private sectors of both countries, especially in healthcare and medical tourism, as well as education and youth engagement.
During the said occasion, the Royal Thai Embassy organized an award ceremony for the Iraqi students who had won the “Thailand’s Essay Competition 2025”. The essay project was initiated by the Royal Thai Embassy in Amman to promote knowledge, awareness, tourism, and fine cuisines of Thailand among Iraqi youths who will play a key role in the economic and social development of the Iraqi society.
- On 28 April 2025, H.E. Dr. Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnawi, the Minister of Health of Iraq, to explore ways and means to mutually promote medical cooperation and medical tourism between the two countries.
- On 29 April 2025, (1) H.E. Mr. Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), along with (2) H.E. Mr. Safeen Dizayee, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) of KRG, and (3) H.E. Mr. Mohammed Shukri, the Chairman of the Investment Board of Kurdistan Regional of Iraq, to strengthen cooperation in various aspects, namely trade and investment, technical cooperation, healthcare and medical tourism, as well as to invite Kurdistan's officials and business representatives to attend THAIFEX - Anuga Asia 2025 in Thailand. THAIFEX is the largest food and beverage trade show in the Asia Pacific Region.
4) H.E. Dr. Saman Barzanji, Minister of Health of KRG to explore further collaboration in the fields of medical and healthcare sector, exchanges of healthcare experiences and expertise, as well as possible organization of a workshop/information session about Thailand’s medical and healthcare services in the near future.
- On 30 April 2025, Mr. Kamaran Salah Bajgr, the First Vice President of Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI), and members of ECCI to expand cooperation on trade and investment through several avenues, including a visit to Thailand to participate in THAIFEX - Anuga Asia, and to engage with Thai business sectors.
The visit to the Republic of Iraq by H.E. the Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs was Thailand’s first high-level visit in over two decades, with the aim of reaffirming Thailand's commitment to strengthening and elevating bilateral ties and cooperation with Iraq in mutually beneficial areas. This visit coincided with the Republic of Iraq’s recent approval of the re-opening of an Iraqi Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.