President Mrs Mary McAleese arrived in Bangkok today on the first visit to Thailand by an Irish head of state.
She will meet Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to discuss expanding economic co-operation with Thailand.
Mrs McAleese will also preside over the opening ceremony of the Asia-Ireland Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok, meet Irish businessmen, and have an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit during her four-day visit.
She is scheduled to fly to the southern beach resort town of Phuket, where she will preside over the opening ceremony of the Asia-Irish games on Sunday, an event for Irish youth living in Asia.
Thailand established diplomatic ties with Ireland in 1975. The annual bilateral trade is about $205 million in Thailand's favour.
Thailand exports goods worth about $124 million a year to Ireland - mostly computers, computer parts, wooden products, jewellery, accessories, clothes and electric devices.
Thailand imports machinery, grains, dairy products, medicine and laboratory tools from Ireland.
In April, Ireland and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding on trade co-operation.
AP