Thailand is Western Australia’s twelfth largest merchandise export market. Western Australia exported A$1.6 billion of goods to Thailand in 2019, with the top exports being petroleum, wheat and barley. Thailand is Western Australia’s third largest export market for barley.
Thailand is Western Australia’s fourth largest source of merchandise imports. Western Australia imported A$2.3 billion of goods from Thailand in 2019, with the top imports being gold (further refined and re-exported) and motor vehicles.
Thailand is Australia’s eighteenth largest source of foreign direct investment (A$5.9 billion in 2019) and is the eighteenth largest destination for Australia’s direct investment abroad (A$1.6 billion in 2019).
In 2019, Western Australia had 11,400 visitors and 677 students from Thailand. For Western Australian tourists, Thailand is the fourth most popular overseas destination, with 66,000 Western Australians visiting Thailand in 2018.
Western Australia has a growing Thai community. In 2016, 8,700 Western Australian residents had Thai ancestry and 8,000 were born in Thailand.
The Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation supports Western Australia’s investment and trade with Thailand through its Singapore Office, which was established in 2012.