Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is overseas using his business connections in Thailand to open doors in an attempt to grow the economy.
On Wednesday, he met with his Thai counterpart Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin in Bangkok and the two have a lot in common.
"We both have some commonality. We both started off working in corporates that competed all around the world, so we have that common background in terms of coming from outside of politics and coming from the world of business," Luxon said.
So Luxon is taking advantage - bringing big business energy to Bangkok.
"These are places that we know we can actually grow our economy, our business, with these markets. We have an ambitious goal to make sure we double the amount of exports we have coming out of New Zealand in the next 10 years.
Somewhat uniquely – as well as his one-on-one with Thavisin - Luxon teed up his business delegation to get in a room with the Thai leadership too.
"We're very focused to make sure we’re very understanding of each other and actually to make sure Prime Ministers hear directly from their respective business communities in their other countries I think is a good thing."
Sretta and Luxon share a similar path to power – political novices with business acumen.
Sretta also took a world tour approach when he was sworn in - spending third of his first six months in office overseas to promote investment in Thailand - he faced a public backlash and eventually implemented a two-month travel ban on himself.
Luxon won't be doing the same.
"Are you confident that this is what Kiwis want you to do, to get out in the world? Or do you need to be at home?" Luxon was asked.
"Look I’ve been at home and I am at home and if you think about it I can do both. I'm taking five days in a working week to get around three countries that are very important to our future," Luxon replied.
Newshub understand the Prime Minister is making plans to travel to Japan, South Korea, India, the US and the UK this year.
"We have to get out in the world. We have amazing people, incredible products and services. We have to sell those into these markets and that’s actually how we grow our economy," he said.
Luxon said he wouldn't raise the situation of the two Kiwi brothers currently imprisoned in Thailand.
Hamish and Oscar Day were arrested in Phuket last month for fighting with a Thai police officer and taking their gun.
Luxon told media before his meeting with Sretta there was "a process to play out".
This is Luxon's first big trip outside Australia and we’re starting to see what he means by raising the energy in international relationships – there has been a clear trade and business focus – well suited to him.
But he is navigating some of the more thorny foreign affairs matters well, raising the plight of Myanmar on Wednesday, speaking a lot about deepening security ties here as well.
And his assessment of the world we are living in today was blunt: "Disrupted and more fragile than we have seen in a generation".
