Sri Vijaya Puram, May 20: The Andaman Nicobar Chamber of Commerce & Industry held on 18/5/2026 a productive meeting with Royal Thai Consulate-General Kolkata led by H.E. Miss Siriporn Tantipanyathep, Consul General, along with delegates from the Consulate, to discuss avenues for strengthening cooperation between Thailand and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands across various sectors.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on improving connectivity between Thailand and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands through both air and sea routes in order to promote tourism, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
One of the key issues deliberated upon was the need to revive and activate the earlier agreement between the Andaman Nicobar Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Twin City Agreement between the Andaman & Nicobar Administration and the Government of Phuket. It was mutually felt that renewed institutional cooperation would greatly enhance economic and tourism opportunities between the two regions.
With regard to air connectivity, the Chamber emphasized the urgent need for direct flight operations between Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) and destinations such as Bangkok and Phuket. It was suggested that a proposal may be considered for providing viability gap funding or operational subsidies to airlines in order to encourage commencement of these routes.
The Chamber also informed the Consul General that the Andaman & Nicobar Administration has already taken several proactive measures to support international air connectivity, including waiver of landing charges, exemption of Passenger Service Fees, and removal of VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). These incentives are expected to make operations commercially attractive for airlines planning to operate flights between the islands and Thailand.
The Consul General further informed the Chamber that the Ranong Port is presently being upgraded. Considering its close proximity to Sri Vijaya Puram and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, both sides discussed the possibility of initiating container and cargo shipping services between Ranong and Port Blair. Such connectivity could facilitate export of marine products and seafood from the islands, while also enabling import of consumer goods, construction materials, and other products from Thailand at competitive costs.
The meeting concluded on a positive note with both sides expressing keen interest in enhancing bilateral cooperation and working together to improve connectivity, trade, tourism, and economic engagement between Thailand and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.