On August 5, 2024, the United States and Thailand extended their Science and Technology Agreement for another ten years. When the original agreement was signed in 2013, it provided an essential framework to explore areas of mutual interest that included research collaboration, energy, biodiversity, national laboratories, and STEM education.
The agreement was first extended in 2018 for five years after both sides expressed their intention to continue the partnership in the first Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Science and Technology in 2016. The JCMs are held under the bilateral science and technology agreement, and at the most recent one in 2023, the delegations discussed climate change, diseases, biodiversity, agriculture, water, STEM entrepreneurship, innovation, and environmental conservation.
The latest 2024 extension of the agreement has broadened the horizons of the partnership. It has emphasized both countries’ efforts to engage all groups in the scientific research communities and remove barriers to full participation in joint science activities. Both countries have also agreed upon an updated intellectual property annex.
