Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai said that The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, will visit Thailand once the government finishes the roadmap to restart bilateral cooperation between the two kingdoms.
Minister Don said the roadmap will prioritize cooperation in certain areas, initially, energy and labor. Once the roadmap is finished, the Saudi crown prince will pay Thailand a visit, which can be expected within 2022.
Relations between the two countries were established in 1957 and hundreds of thousands of Thais went to Saudi Arabia to work. The historically friendly and strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and Thailand has deteriorated significantly following the Blue Diamond affair.
Mr. Don added that during the visit, the crown prince will sign a framework agreement on the implementation of bilateral cooperation in various sectors. This signing is expected to set the tone for the future relationship between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry is coordinating with Saudi officials to determine what will go on the agenda for the next bilateral meetings.
Some cooperation could begin in 2 months while more complex agreements might take up to 6 months to be in effect. Mr. Don said a priority is to find an ambassador to fill the post in Riyadh, which has been vacant for three decades.
The re-establishing of Thai-Saudi relations after a 30-year stand by has paved the way for bilateral discussions over many areas, including diplomacy, economy, and labour. The Ministry of Labor is currently drafting an employment agreement under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) system to facilitate the first wave of Thai workers to Saudi Arabia three months from now.