The Australia Thailand Business Council (ATBC) works to build strong links between the private sectors of Australian and Thai businesses, as well as developing mutually beneficial relations with our respective governments. The Council works closely with AustCham in Thailand, and our secretariat is hosted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Canberra.

The ATBC is currently undertaking a broad consultation process with our members, potential members and stakeholders in the Australian and Thai government and business communities with a view to significant change and renewal.

Australia and Thailand are due to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations this year. The two countries are major trading partners, and trade has grown rapidly since the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) came into force in January 2005.

Thailand is now Australia’s ninth largest training partner and second largest in ASEAN with two way merchandise trade reaching $19 billion in 2010 (ref. www.dfat.gov.au/fta/tafta).