The Australian and Thai leaders held a joint press conference after a full bilateral meeting, warmly marking the first prime ministerial visit in 14 years. They announced an elevation of the strategic partnership in four areas, supporting Thailand's membership bid to the OECD and collaborating to combat transnational call center gangs.
On 19 August 2026, at the Parliament House in Canberra, Commonwealth of Australia, at 10:50 a.m. local time (3 hours ahead of Thailand). Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Thailand's Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul held a joint press conference following the completion of a full bilateral meeting. Anthony officially welcomed the Thai Prime Minister, noting this visit as the first in 14 years, reflecting Australia's importance to Thailand as a close ally and in preparation for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.
The Australian Prime Minister revealed that both sides reached a significant agreement by issuing a new joint statement on transnational crime. The national police agencies of both countries will closely coordinate to dismantle drug networks and online criminal gangs. They also agreed to enhance security in the Indo-Pacific region by holding joint defense minister meetings every two years.
On the economic front, Australia and Thailand agreed to strengthen cooperation through a joint statement on deepening economic engagement, aiming to fully utilize the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement amid global challenges. Anthony also thanked the Thai Prime Minister and Thailand for helping Australia access aviation fuel during supply chain disruptions caused by conflicts in the Middle East, reaffirming full support for Thailand's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Meanwhile, Anutin responded that this strategic partnership will provide a strong foundation for the development of both countries, especially in addressing borderless security challenges. Thailand is committed to using the new joint statement to decisively tackle online scams, human trafficking, and money laundering. To build economic resilience amid geopolitical volatility, both sides signed a memorandum of intent between Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to facilitate technology transfer and enhance joint scientific capabilities.
At the same time, the Thai Prime Minister praised the role of the Thai community in Australia and the continued popularity of Australian tourists visiting Thailand. He reaffirmed that Thailand will continue to strengthen cooperation with Australia through ASEAN mechanisms and the Mekong-Australia partnership, and expressed gratitude again to the Australian government for its full support of Thailand's push to join the OECD.
The reporter added that before the press conference, the two leaders held a full bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room. They then witnessed the signing of two key agreements: the Joint Statement on Transnational Crime and the Leaders’ Statement on Deepening Economic Engagement.
