Anutin to raise jet fuel exports in Australia talks

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said major Australian companies remain keen to set up and expand manufacturing operations in Thailand, citing the country's security, political stability and logistics networks.

Speaking in Sydney on 18 August 2026 after informal talks with Australian business figures, Anutin said he would raise possible Thai jet fuel exports and work visas for Thai workers when he meets Australia's prime minister in Canberra on 19 August.

The discussions followed the Thailand-Australia Investment and Business Partnership Reception, organised by the Board of Investment (BOI).

Australian investors back Thailand

Anutin said foreign businesspeople had strong confidence in Thailand's stability and potential, and considered the country their first choice for investment.

"Thailand has a great deal of attraction for investors," he said, adding that greater domestic harmony would further strengthen that appeal.

He credited the BOI's Thailand Fast Pass policy, which acts as a central, one-stop service intended to resolve problems and bottlenecks for investors. The policy has made procedures faster and more convenient, he said, and no investor had raised negative issues.

The prime minister said investment in the first half of the year had reached A$60 billion, or around 1.4 trillion baht. Australian technology could also connect with and support supply chains in Thailand effectively, he said.

Jet fuel and Thai worker visas on agenda

Australia's ambassador had told Anutin that Australia currently needs substantial quantities of jet fuel, while Thailand has surplus reserves as a result of producing large volumes of diesel.

Anutin said that, if the Australian government indicates it wants supplies, the Thai government is ready to consider easing regulations to allow jet fuel exports. Such exports could meet Australian demand while increasing Thai export income, he said.

He also confirmed that talks would cover efforts to send more Thai workers to Australia, after concerns that work visas are now being issued for shorter periods.

After visiting Thai Town, Anutin said Thai restaurant businesses were growing but facing a shortage of chefs. He said Thailand must negotiate to remove obstacles and reassure Australia that Thai workers now seeking jobs are not undocumented workers struggling in secret, as in the past, but skilled people able to demonstrate their expertise.

Pictures courtesy of ThaiRath

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19 August 2026