The Thai Foreign Ministry said the proposal came after a meeting between Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Brazil.
The meeting took place on April 28 on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro - where Bangkok expressed its more obvious determination than ever to become a full part of the BRICS bloc that is reshaping the multilateral world order.
The Russian side acknowledges the proposal and expressed its willingness to support Thailand in this process, the Thai Foreign Ministry informed in an official statement.
According to TASS, Thailand has been invited to become a BRICS partner since January 1, 2025, after Moscow sent a notice in December 2024. Bangkok sees this as a strategic turning point paving the way for full participation in the future.
During the meeting in Brazil, the two Foreign Ministers also discussed high-level delegation exchanges between the two countries; trade cooperation, including the possibility of free trade talks between Thailand and the Russia-led ASEAN-EU; cooperation in nuclear medicine and culture; and exchanging views on ongoing international issues.
Notably, Mr. Maris handed over a letter expressing his intention to join BRICS to Mr. Lavrov from June 2024 in the city of Nizhny Novgorod - where Thailand first " laid the foundation" in terms of diplomacy for its current progress.
BRICS, which was initially founded in 2006, includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and then South Africa (2011). From January 1, 2024, the group will expand to 5 new countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - showing the trend of shifting global power away from the traditional West axis.
Thailand - the second largest economy in ASEAN -'s desire to join BRICS is not only a political move, but also a search for strategic space in the multilateral system; taking advantage of opportunities for South-South cooperation; reducing dependence on Western financial order.
Observers say that Russia's support for Thailand could be an important link in BRICS's strategy to expand its influence in Southeast Asia.
