Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra began her official visit to Malaysia today, at the invitation of her Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.
This is Paetongtarn's first official visit to Malaysia since taking office in August.
The visit aims to reaffirm the importance of Thai-Malaysian friendship and collaboration, which are crucial for achieving concrete outcomes in bilateral cooperation, including border area development, according to a press statement from the Thai government.
The ‘7th Annual Consultation’ will provide both sides with an opportunity to discuss all aspects of bilateral cooperation, including their economies, trade, infrastructure, tourism connectivity, political and security matters (including the prevention of transnational crime) and socio-cultural collaboration. They will also focus on strengthening regional and international cooperation, to achieve “common peace and prosperity” for both countries and their peoples.
The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs):
· An MoU between the Malaysian Rubber Board and the Rubber Authority of Thailand on the development of the rubber industry and economic cooperation
· An MoU between the Government of Malaysia and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on cooperation in the fields of culture, arts and heritage
The Malaysian Prime Minister will also host an official luncheon in honour of the Thai Prime Minister.
According to Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, Thailand was Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner in 2023 and its second-largest among ASEAN member states, with total trade amounting to US$24.83 billion (RM 113.16 billion).
Between January and October 2024, bilateral trade reached US$20.75 billion (RM 95.50 billion), compared to US$20.69 billion (RM 94.37 billion) during the same period in 2023.
