16-12-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra embarked on her maiden visit to Malaysia as head of government on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
The 37-year-old premier, who made history as Thailand’s youngest prime minister when she took office in August 2024, touched down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Bunga Raya Complex at 5:20 pm local time. She was accompanied by her husband, Pidok Sooksawas, and a high-level delegation.
Minister Zaliha Mustafa from the Prime Minister’s Department and Malaysian Chargé d’Affaires to Thailand, Bong Yik Jui, led the welcoming party. Prime Minister Shinawatra was accorded full military honours, reviewing a guard of honour comprising 28 personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment, under the command of Captain Khairul Azmi Jamingon.
The two-day official visit, arranged at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, coincides with the 7th Malaysia-Thailand Annual Consultation. The diplomatic engagement includes a formal welcoming ceremony, bilateral discussions, and the signing of several crucial agreements aimed at bolstering cross-border cooperation.
The visit builds upon recent diplomatic momentum, following Prime Minister Anwar’s working visit to the Thai-Malaysian border regions of Sungai Golok and Rantau Panjang in August. Thailand’s strategic importance to Malaysia’s economic interests is underscored by robust trade figures, with Thailand ranking as Malaysia’s second-largest ASEAN trading partner and sixth globally.
Recent economic data reveals strengthening commercial ties between the nations. Bilateral trade from January to October 2024 reached US$20.75 billion (RM95.50 billion), surpassing the previous year’s figures for the same period. This growth trajectory follows a strong performance in 2023, when total bilateral trade reached US$24.83 billion (RM113.16 billion).
