Putrajaya, December 16, 2024 – The Europe Today: Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra began her two-day official visit to Malaysia on Monday, marking her maiden visit to the country since assuming office in August 2023.
An official welcoming ceremony was held at Dataran Perdana at 9 a.m., where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received Paetongtarn and her husband, Pitaka Suksawat. The ceremony included an inspection of a guard of honor by three officers and 102 members of the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
The event was attended by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Ministers, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, alongside Cabinet ministers, foreign diplomats, and senior government officials.
Following the ceremony, Paetongtarn and Anwar held a bilateral meeting and co-chaired the 7th Malaysia-Thailand Annual Consultation (AC). Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in various fields and addressing regional and international issues of mutual concern.
As part of the consultation, the leaders witnessed the exchange of two key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs):
- Cooperation in Culture, Arts, and Heritage, aimed at strengthening cultural ties between the two nations.
- Development of the Rubber Industry and Economic Cooperation, underscoring the importance of economic collaboration in key sectors.
This visit builds on the strong ties reaffirmed during earlier engagements, including the August 3 joint visit of the two Prime Ministers to Sungai Golok, Thailand, and Rantau Panjang, Malaysia, as well as the 15th Joint Commission Meeting for Bilateral Cooperation and the 6th Meeting of the Committee on the Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas, held on August 6 in Kuala Lumpur.
According to Wisma Putra, the visit highlights the enduring friendship and partnership between Malaysia and Thailand as close neighbors and key ASEAN members.
In 2023, Thailand was Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner globally and second-largest within ASEAN, with total trade valued at USD24.83 billion (RM113.16 billion). Between January and October 2024, bilateral trade reached USD20.75 billion (RM95.50 billion), surpassing figures from the same period in 2023.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn’s visit is expected to further deepen bilateral cooperation and pave the way for new avenues of collaboration between the two countries.
