On 11 November 2026, Mr. Chulvat Narinthrangura, Director-General of TICA, welcomed Dr. Jun Youngsuk, KOICA Senior Research Fellow, Overseas Volunteer Program Office, and Ms. Jiheh Chun, Country Director of KOICA Thailand Office. The occasion marked Dr. Jun Youngsuk’s courtesy call and commencement of duties as an advisor to TICA from 11-21 November 2026, under the 5th TICA–KOICA Action Plan (2026–2028).

This inaugural deployment of a KOICA advisor to work alongside TICA aims to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience in development cooperation management - particularly in Official Development Assistance (ODA) data collection and statistics, as well as monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. These efforts will strengthen TICA’s capacity as Thailand prepares for membership in the OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC). Additionally, the assignment provides an opportunity to explore and develop trilateral cooperation projects among Thailand, the Republic of Korea, and the Lao PDR through study visits and discussions on joint project implementation.

Cooperation between TICA and KOICA has continued steadily for over a decade. The two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Strengthen Partnership for International Development Cooperation in 2014, and are currently operating under their 5th Action Plan, reflecting the strong development partnership between Thailand and the Republic of Korea and their shared commitment to expanding cooperation in support of sustainable development in the region.