Thailand’s Minister of Culture, Sabida Thaiseth, held bilateral talks with Australia’s Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, at the Australian Parliament on 19 August 2026, agreeing to expand cooperation between the two countries across five key areas of arts and culture.
The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, with both ministers identifying priority initiatives to deepen collaboration. The first area of agreement centers on coordinating the return of Thai artifacts currently held in Australia back to Thailand.
The two sides also agreed to jointly organize significant cultural events, including the Bangkok Design Week, as a means of showcasing collaborative creative initiatives between the nations.
A third area of cooperation involves capacity building for arts professionals in both countries, to be achieved through artist exchanges, expert exchanges, and artist-in-residence programs designed to foster skill-sharing and creative development.
The ministers further agreed to organize a series of arts and cultural events marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Australia. This initiative aligns with cultural diplomacy, which remains a key policy priority for Thailand’s Ministry of Culture.
Finally, both sides committed to developing an Action Plan for cultural cooperation, building upon the cultural agreement originally signed between the two countries in 1974, with the aim of translating longstanding diplomatic ties into more tangible and measurable outcomes.