THE regional defense challenges have grown in recent years and this is not lost on the Philippines and Thailand as the two Southeast Asian states have agreed to further deepen their military relations within the context of bilateral security collaborations.

Department of National Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong said on Monday the Philippines and Thailand are determined to complete the necessary arrangements to revitalize their long-standing defense relations. This was reaffirmed during the fourth iteration of their Joint Committee on Military Cooperation (JCMC) meeting held in Bangkok on June 27.